For The First Time
by bb315
Summary: "Even after all these years, we just now got the feeling that we're meeting For the first time" Rachel couldn't stand Noah, not one bit. That's why it was so absolutely ridiculous to her that she loved him so deeply. reviews please!
1. Chapter 1

_"Even after all these years,_

_We just now got the feeling that we're meeting_

_For the first time" –The Script_

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Ever since she could remember, Rachel knew that Noah Puckerman was a vile excuse for a man. He tormented her in their younger years, capping off with the slushie attacks in high school. Then in college—spent together at Ohio State—Noah treated her like a piece of meat. He was always lurking, like some rabid dog, waiting to prey on her. His crass words were disgusting. That seductive look in his eyes always sent a chill up Rachel's spine. Rachel couldn't stand Noah, not one bit. That's why it was so absolutely ridiculous to her that she loved him so deeply.

The two-year-old at her side tugged on her coat impatiently. Rachel looked down at the little boy with a mischievous grin just like his father, and stuck her tongue out at him. Eli was the light of her world. She scooped him up and cradled him close to her body, warming both of them up in the winter weather.

"Daddy take a long time." Eli commented. Rachel kissed the top of his forehead to avoid saying anything negative about his father. She rang the doorbell again humming the theme song to Eli's favorite TV show to keep her calm. As Eli erupted in a fit of happy giggles, singing along with Rachel, the door flew open.

"I'm so sorry guys. Eli, got a surprise waiting on you in your room."

"Daddy!" Eli exclaimed, flying out of Rachel's arms into his father's. He had to grab the towel around his waist to make sure it didn't fall down. He kissed the top of his son's head and let him down.

"Berry, you had to wait at the door for two minutes max. Lose the scowl. I hopped in the shower- you didn't want me to show up at the door hot and sweaty, did you?" Rachel looked at him, using her best show face to hide how much she really would have loved him to come to the door that way.

"WOW!" Eli exclaimed.

"Come look Rach." He grabbed her hand and led her back to Eli's room. She couldn't ignore the tingle she felt when he touched her, nor could she ignore that he used her first name—even if it was an abbreviated version.

There was a giant fort set up in the middle of the room. Pillows, sheets, blankets—it was huge. Eli crawled inside and laughed. Eli's father left the room and Rachel correctly assumed he went to put on appropriate attire. Rachel wanted to tell him that being shirtless, even with sweatpants, was still not appropriate attire during the winter time, but she knew that wasn't her place.

"Video games!" Eli shouted. He crawled back out and latched onto his father's leg.

"Pizza's on the way and we've got all The Backyardigans episodes you could ever imagine waiting on you." Eli jumped up excitedly and crawled back into the fort.

Rachel looked at the scene before her. Her son was the biggest surprise and the best thing to ever happen to her. He was cute, smart, and she could see the talent brewing inside of him. As she looked to Noah, she wondered how this ever happened to her. A man that she loved to hate and hated to love was placed in her life forever. Rachel forced those thoughts back and looked at her watch, not noticing Puck was watching her the entire time.

"Kiddo, come give your mom a hug. She's going now." Puck said. Eli came out and jumped into Rachel's waiting arms.

"Oh I love you my handsome boy." Rachel kissed him all over his face, an act she knew he was starting to hate. She found it funny because if he was anything like his father, she knew he'd enjoy girls and kissing too soon for her liking.

"Are you going to school mommy?" Eli asked her.

"Dance tonight. Tuesday is my dance class, remember?" Rachel said. Eli gripped her around her neck and wiggled himself down.

"I'll walk you out." Puck said, following Rachel to the door. "You okay? Spacing out in front of me isn't like you—anymore."

"I'm fine Noah. Don't let Eli eat too much junk food or stay up too late. And I didn't give him his bath yet because it's too cold outside—"

"Berry, go to your class. We'll see you tomorrow." Puck said, opening the door. Rachel looked at him, wanting to give him a piece of her mind about his "hit or miss" child rearing skills, but Eli popped out the door.

"Bye mommy! Daddy, come play!" Eli exclaimed. Puck looked relieved, knowing Rachel wouldn't go into full lecture mode with Eli standing there.

"Saved by the son. See ya Berry." Puck said, closing the door behind her.

Rachel threw herself into her dance class. She always gave her absolute all into performing. The only area in her life where she gave any more of herself was when it came to Eli.

_Eli and performing make me whole. _Rachel thought to herself. It was her mantra, of sorts. She had to repeat it to herself constantly when the bitterness seeped through her body. Tonight would be one of those nights, she knew it. She was tired—physically, mentally, and emotionally. The tears broke loose as soon as she crossed the threshold of her apartment.

Rachel wondered when her dreams changed so dramatically. Not even her dreams—her life in general. She was a 22-year-old senior in college, with a son. That was far from her Broadway dream.

She sobbed on the couch as she pulled out her planner. Ever the meticulous list maker, Rachel had a list for what she needed to accomplish that evening. She was relieved to see her only assignment was to bring in lyrics to one of her favorite songs and explain the meaning. Rachel scoffed at the assignment, even through her tears. Even though it was only the beginning of the semester, Rachel knew her songwriting class would be a joke. The professor was cornier than Mr. Schuester, but it was a useful elective. She was lucky to have her final semester consist of mostly electives and online classes. Despite having Eli, Rachel worked hard at school and still expected to graduate on time. Taking care of a child was a tremendous feat, but Rachel Berry never allowed herself to fail at anything. She went through five (yes, five) academic advisors until she finally found her match with Dr. Lawrence.

"_Dr. Lawrence, while I am usually willing to go through the normal, and necessary, friendly pleasantries that accompany an introductory meeting, you are the sixth advisor I've met with. As you can see, I'm with child. Although this is a rather nontraditional path for a woman of my age, I assure you that I will not stop until I find an advisor who will help me create a plan to graduate in Spring 2015. My name is Rachel Barbra Berry and I hope you can help me because I'm running out of faculty members to go to." Rachel told Dr. Lawrence on their first meeting. He sat back in his chair, chucking at the very pregnant student in front of him._

"_Ms. Berry, the Theatre department has been abuzz about a pregnant tyrant. I've been waiting for you to show up in my office." _

"_A tyrant?" Rachel squeaked. Her pregnancy hormones were about to get the best of her. Dr. Lawrence passed her a box of tissues before the waterworks began._

"_I'd be pleased to help you Rachel. Let's begin." _

Rachel thought fondly of her advisor. From that first meeting, Rachel knew Dr. Lawrence believed she would graduate on time. She remembered how proud he was when she turned in her graduation application. While her fathers supported her in whatever options she made, they never wanted her to overwhelm herself with Eli and with school. They wanted her to graduate, but they didn't mind if she took a lighter course load. Rachel knew that was their way of telling her it was okay to graduate a semester or two later. In fact, everyone else encouraged Rachel to take extra time. Dr. Lawrence was the only person who ever fully supported her decision. Him… and Noah.

Rachel was relieved to hear her phone before she could get too deep in her thoughts. She wasn't surprised to see Santana's name flashing on the screen. She called around this time every Tuesday night, knowing that Rachel was out of dance class and available to talk. It was a friendship that Rachel was initially wary of—after all, Santana hated Rachel up until she gave birth to Eli. . After he graduated high school, Santana and Noah had some weird best friendship that Rachel didn't bother trying to understand. In Santana's mind, she figured Rachel trapped Noah with the pregnancy. As soon as Santana locked eyes on Eli, Rachel knew that the fierce protectiveness she had for Noah had transferred over to Eli. In order to even put her hands on him, Santana knew she had to bury the hatchet with Rachel.

"Hello Santana." Rachel answered.

"Seriously Berry, you must have been using that vibrator I sent you if it took you so long to answer." Santana said. Rachel gasped, shocked that Santana would even come to such a conclusion.

"You are incorrigible Santana Lopez."

"Thought that was a word you saved for Puckerman. What are you up to Ber? I just talked to Eli, sounding adorable. Although, I'm pretty sure he called me Satan. Fucking Puck."  
"He's precious, aside from the horrid habits Noah teaches him. I still love that little boy to pieces." Rachel glanced at the picture of Eli and her on the wall.

"Puck said you looked upset and that I should grill you on what's wrong. Even though I'm in LA, I'm giving you my 'bitch, spill' stare." Rachel knew the exact look Santana was referring to. While it actually worked in person, it had no effect on Rachel over the phone.

"Honestly, nothing. Noah should use the energy he spends trying to decipher me on reading about proper nutrition for a toddler. Poor Eli won't even be getting vegetables tonight." Rachel ranted. Santana scoffed.

"I'm sorry, now my 'bitch, please' radar is beeping. Whatever Berry, don't tell me what's really going on with you. It just better be relevant whenever you decide to spill." Rachel smiled to herself, knowing that was Santana's way of saying "we can talk about it whenever you're ready."

"Anyway, let me tell you how awesome my mock trial went today. I actually made the witness cry—and it was just a mock trial!"

As Rachel listened to Santana's detailed account, she went around tidying her apartment. There was a load of Eli's clothes to be folded and a few other things she could tend to while talking (listening) on the phone.

"Rach, can I ask you something?" Santana blurted out. Rachel swore she was paying attention, but the question caught her off guard. Santana's sickly sweet voice should have been her first warning.

"When's the last time you got laid woman?" Rachel scoffed.

"Santana… ugh… so inappropriate." Rachel sputtered. "That's a sensitive and personal topic. And I don't want to discuss it."

"Damn it, I knew it Rachel. You mean Puck's the last person you… well, fucked? You guys broke up like a year ago… unless you guys have been sexing on the side, which is perfectly fine."  
"I'll talk to you next week Santana. This conversation is over!" Rachel exclaimed and hung up. Most of their conversations ended that way, with Santana broaching some inappropriate topic—but they were usually about Santana's own life.

Rachel ran some bath water while she put the rest of Eli's toys back in his bin. She stripped down and eased into the warm vanilla bath. Once she closed her eyes, Finn's face was the first that popped into her head.

##

It was no secret that Rachel was madly in love with Finn in high school—or as madly in love as once can get at 16. There were bumps along the road, but Finn was Rachel's first stable relationship. Back as a junior in high school, Rachel thought Finn was it for her. Sure, he'd go off to college while she wrapped up her senior year but everything would work out fine.

She lost her virginity to Finn one weekend while her fathers were in Chicago. They talked marriage and babies. Finn even convinced Rachel to keep Ohio State as one of her college options, even though he knew Rachel's heart had always been set on going straight to New York.

Senior year had been lonely for Rachel. She missed Finn desperately, but she threw herself into her academics and into Glee. Even though the campus was just under two hours away, Rachel always gave Finn enough space to live his college life. The few times she actually visited always felt like disasters with Noah hovering around. With Noah as Finn's roommate, Rachel felt like there was never an opportunity for them to be alone. She'd later learn that Noah was "protecting his future," as he'd put it.

Rachel remembers the night that she knew everything would change. Sometimes in life, there are instances that you can feel changing your life—deep down to your core. Rachel's fathers had allowed her to travel to Columbus to spend the weekend with Finn. It was Homecoming weekend and Rachel knew Finn was going to try to woo her into choosing Ohio State. He wasn't satisfied with it just being one of Rachel's options. Before they went out that Friday night, Finn ran to the computer lab to complete a forgotten assignment due at midnight. He gave Rachel a sincere apology and a quick kiss before he dashed out the door.

"Fucking Hudson. He's got you here and he's doing homework."

"Well Noah, academics should be his ultimate priority. After all, that's why you two are at school. How are you doing in your courses?"

"I'm passing, which is pretty fucking surprising. But hey, it's just OH state, not Harvard." Rachel frowned at Puck. She hated to hear others belittle themselves.

"Noah, you're intelligent. I never bought the dumb act that you try to put on. When you really begin to apply yourself, I know you'll be able to do great things." She said seriously. Had she always been so passionate about his success? Had Noah always looked at her so intensely?

"I don't buy you giving up New York to stay in fucking Ohio. Really Berry?" Puck blurted out. Rachel noticed that he actually looked apprehensive about her response.

"Obviously, Ohio isn't my first choice. Sometimes our dreams take us on different paths."  
"Hudson must be laying it down pretty well then. Never thought you'd be swayed on those New York dreams, especially by some di—"

"Noah Puckerman, you're incorrigible. While my relationship with Finn has a lot to do with my thoughts of attending Ohio State, I also read that they have a nice Theatre program. Upon graduation, I could still go to New York and complete my dream. Plus, Ohio State is close to home. I'd be near my fathers."

"Cut the crap Berry. Your dads are out of town half the year anyway. And what's a nice Theatre program compared to the only place that Theatre really matters in this country." Rachel could tell that Noah was getting upset. She couldn't imagine why the topic of her future even mattered to him.

"Noah, you've never cared about my dreams before. Why do you care now?" Puck opened his mouth to say something, then closed it quickly. He put on his sweatshirt and headed to the door. Rachel sat open-mouthed, wondering if he'd really leave mid-conversation.

"You deserve it. I mean—ugh—you deserve the chance to be better than every one of us. You force fed your dream down our throats and it'd mean that it was a fucking waste of all that time spent hating you so much if you didn't become a star. If he loved you—if Finn Hudson loved you so much, he wouldn't tie you down to Ohio fucking State."

Puck slammed the door behind him, leaving Rachel stunned. The butterflies in her stomach and the tugging feeling she had on her heart was overwhelming. Finn may have been an airhead at times, but he knew something had changed as soon as he walked through back into his dorm room a few minutes later.

"What's wrong? What'd Puck do?" Finn asked, instantly accusatory.

"Noah didn't do anything. I'm actually feeling a little sick. You may want to go to the party without me." Rachel was shocked when the words rolled out her mouth. She was a great actress, but she never intended to lie.

"Do you need to go to the ER or something?"  
"Oh no Finn, don't be silly. I'm just a little light headed. I'm sure that if you go now, I'll probably just sleep it off and feel better in the morning. Then we'll go to the game." Rachel insisted. Finn frowned, looking torn between staying with Rachel and going to the party. Finn was pretty consistent. She knew he'd choose the party because he thrived off popularity.

"I'll check on you throughout the night, okay?" Finn said, kissing her forehead. "I hope you feel better Rach. Call me if you need anything."  
"Of course Finn."

Rachel spent that night looking up apartments, jobs, opportunities and everything New York. Finn would just have to understand.

##

Rachel got out the tub wrinkled and pruned. She got dressed just in time to catch her incoming phone call. It was going on 9, so she knew it was Noah calling for her to sing Eli goodnight.

"Hello Noah."  
"Hey Ber. Kid's waiting for his song. He's got pretty good vocals for two, but look at his mom.

"Of course he would. Both his parents are very musically talented. Could I speak with Eli now?" Puck sighed on the other end.

"Would it kill you to have a conversation with me? I mean, we broke up last year Berry. I've already got one baby mama that resents me and it would suck if you did that too." Rachel could hear the emotion in his voice. It was rare that Noah expressed how he actually felt when it came to feelings.

"Well, my 3 p.m. singing lesson is canceled and I'm off from the coffee shop tomorrow. I could come home and whip up something if you agree to pick Eli up from the daycare. It'd be good for him to see his parents being civil to each other for more than 30 minutes, I suppose."

Rachel worked part time at the coffee shop across the street from Eli's daycare. She didn't have to work that many hours since her dads paid for her rent and utilities and Puck took care of most of Eli's expenses. Rachel hated to rely on them for everything, so she worked and gave singing lessons to bring in extra cash. She absolutely adored her boss, coworkers, and even her three singing "students", so work never felt that way.

"And we'll talk? You need me to bring anything?" Puck brought her back to the conversation. Had she just agreed to cook dinner for him? Before Rachel could respond, she heard the distinct sound of Eli's giggles along with a woman's voice calling his name.

"Noah, who is—do you—where is Eli?" Rachel sputtered.

"Yeah, that's kinda what we need to talk about. Eli, mommy's on the phone." Rachel knew he was avoiding the situation. When they broke up, Rachel made Noah promise he wouldn't bring all types of women around their son. Puck promised he wouldn't unless he was in another serious relationship, which was "absofuckinglutely never happening again." Rachel didn't know what disturbed her more: Noah having a random woman around or the prospect of Noah being in serious relationship.

"Mommy!" Eli exclaimed.

"Hello my sweet boy. Are you enjoying your time at Daddy's?"

"Yeah!" Rachel listened to Eli babble on about the fort, the Backyardigans, and eating pizza. Although she enjoyed the quiet time, she missed her son. She'd go pick him up right then if Puck would allow her to. She'd tried on several occasions until he accused her of hogging their son.

"Have you gotten a bath yet? It's time for you to get in to bed for the night."

"Daddy's friend gave me a bath! Her name is Cami. You wanna talk to her?" Eli asked.

"I just want to talk to you sweetheart." From the rustling on the phone, Rachel figured Noah had picked Eli up and transported him to his bed. "What song would you like to hear tonight?"

"Twinkle twinkle!" Eli said excitedly. Rachel smiled, it was her favorite song to sing to him because it reminded her how much Eli meant to her. Even after all the stress and the tears, Eli was Rachel's shining star. She sung the first and last stanza (Rachel was probably one of two people on Earth who knew all five stanzas of the lullaby—the only other person was Puck, who memorized it from Rachel singing it to Eli often as a baby) and could imagine Eli settling under the covers.

"I love you sweet baby."  
"I love you mommy. Night night!"

"Night night honey. I'll see you tomorrow." Rachel said. She could hear the phone exchanging hands. Before Puck had the opportunity to say a word, Rachel ended the call. She went to the laptop and printed out the lyrics to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for her songwriting assignment. Between the metaphors relating to her own life and Eli, Rachel knew she could talk the entire period on the song.

It was still a bit early in the night, so Rachel decided to heat up her kettle and get some last minute Theatre History studying in. While the kettle was warming, she called her fathers to check in.

"Rachel sweetie, how are you?" Daddy answered.

"I'm great Daddy. Just getting some studying done. Eli's at Noah's house for the night."  
"Right, it's Tuesday. How was your dance class? Did you have any singing lessons this evening?"

"Dance was fine. I try not to complain about the lack of enthusiasm the rest of my classmates display, but it really is ridiculous. Before I go off on a tangent, I just remember that I'm taking the class for free and it's just to keep my body moving and active."

"We're so proud of you honey. Your father and I are so proud." Rachel could hear it in her Daddy's voice. She didn't call herself a little bit psychic for nothing—something was wrong.

"Dad's cancer is back, isn't it? How bad is it?"

"I'll let you speak to him. Everything will be alright Rachel, don't you worry." The phone exchanged hands and Rachel couldn't help crying when she heard her Dad's voice on the other end.

"Don't cry honey. We didn't want to bother you with this, but we thought you would want to know. The cancer spread to my colon. It's not a death sentence, but it's certainly not the good news we were hoping." Rachel composed herself as much as she could. This was the time to get the information she needed. She could cry later.

"So that means more chemo? More hospital bills? Dad, you guys can't afford to pay for my expenses like you do. I'm taking extra shifts at the coffee shop and I can—"

"Rachel, you're jumping the gun. You're in your last semester honey. With you working so hard already and doing so well, it's the least we could do. Your cute little apartment and the bit of money we spend isn't hurting us, not one bit. In fact, if you allowed we could afford to support you a little bit more."  
"Absolutely not."

"Rachel, we don't want you to worry about me. I've got another appointment on Friday and we'll find out more about my treatment options."

"Eli and I will be there Friday night. We're spending the weekend." Rachel would have to cancel her Saturday lessons and give up her Friday afternoon shift at the coffee shop, but that didn't matter. She needed to be close to her fathers and hold the both of them close. Even though they would never ask, it was something they needed as well.

Her fathers tried their hardest to switch to a happier subject and Rachel finally gave in, tired of pressing the cancer issue. They talked about Eli and Rachel told her fathers about the fort Puck built for him. The conversation ended on a happy note, but not happy enough to cheer Rachel up. She closed her textbook, turned off the whistling kettle, and decided to call it an early night.

But even after closing her eyes, all she could think about was her dad's cancer spreading. She remembered the day she first found out about the cancer.

Rachel had driven home from school that day, singing at the top of her lungs. Mr. Shue had given her contact information on one of his friends who had recently moved to New York. Said friend was opening a jazz lounge and was interested in hiring Rachel to be the lead singer for the early evening shows. It was the perfect daily agenda: audition (and eventually rehearse) during the day, and perform (and get extra practice) in the evening. Even though she applied and had gotten a generous scholarship package, Rachel had long given up on Ohio State since she and Finn broke up (he refused to continue their relationship if she moved to New York). New York was her dream, and although she kind of missed Finn, he didn't love her enough to let her go.

The opportunity from Mr. Schuester was the sign Rachel needed. She was sure her fathers would feel a little more comfortable about her big move if they knew she'd sort of be around a trustworthy adult. With the contact paper in her hand, she burst through the front door to find both her fathers sitting on the couch. That was great since they were rarely home by the time she got out of school. When she looked at their somber expressions, she felt that feeling. Something in her world was changing. Testicular cancer… chemotherapy… hospital bills. Rachel's eyes went directly to large envelope sitting on the mail pile: her acceptance packet from Ohio State.

Broadway would wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: WOW! I've read so many author's notes that it's weird to do my own! Thanks to all the readers & those now subscribing to story alerts! This was just a little something I had in my head. I've got a few chapters written, so I'll upload every so often. I'll get to a point where I'll probably need suggestions on where to go next. This is a short little chapter, so I decided to post it today. **

**and oh yeah: I don't own GLEE. None of the previous, current, or following chapters are a reflection of any ownership of Glee, "For the First Time" by The Script, or any other thing that could be _ownable_. I'm just a broke college student and I barely own any food to my name! :-)

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It took her a while to fall asleep and the dreams Rachel had would do nothing to soothe her mind, nor her heart. They were all about Noah. Rachel was relieved it was a Wednesday. Her most challenging acting class was at 12. She would immerse herself into whatever character Professor Carson assigned her, knowing that fantasy would be better than her current reality. But class could only last so long. Upon checking her phone after class, Rachel saw she had a waiting text message from Noah and an email from her Dad. The email included a picture of the first time Rachel and her fathers visited a Broadway show in New York. Rachel, missing her two front teeth, struck a superstar pose in front of the theatre.

_Excited to see both of our little **stars** this weekend. Stay strong sweetie. We love you._ Rachel read to herself. She shot her Dad a quick email back and ventured across campus to get to her car. Her phone beeped to notify her of her unread text message.

_Make sure there's some meat on the menu for this evening. _Before Rachel could give him a piece of her mind, another message came through. _Please._

Rachel was pretty sure she had all the ingredients to making chicken alfredo. She drove to the bakery near her apartment complex to pick of a loaf of Italian bread. When she got back inside her car, she realized she'd also bought dipping oil for the bread. It was Puck's favorite, but she didn't mean to buy it. It was just second nature to pick up those two items together. One of his favorite meals, along with his bread and oil—Rachel hoped he wouldn't get the wrong idea. It was just something she had available, right?

A little after four, she heard the familiar, light knocks coming towards the bottom of her door. Rachel jumped up from the counter and ran to the door.

"Mommy!"

"Hey sweet baby!" Rachel scooped him up and smothered him with kisses. Eli giggled and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"You're never that excited to see me." Puck said, setting Eli's backpack on the couch. "And I know I'm not smelling what I _think_ I smell."

"I had the ingredients lying around so I figured I'd make it before it went bad." she replied smoothly. The way Puck looked at her showed that he knew otherwise. Rachel turned to Eli to avoid the subject.

"How was school today sweetie?"

"Fun! We made paint!"

"You mean paintings? You guys painted pictures."

"Yeah! I made a, a monster, and a, a…"

"Slow down Eli. Crap, if you're not the male version of your mom. You know, this kid can talk. And he talks so fast that he can't even get the words out." Puck said, helping himself to a heaping portion of the pasta. Rachel and Eli wouldn't eat much of it anyway and she already prepped the Tupperware for Puck to take the remainder with him.

"Eli, would you like an apple or carrots for your afternoon snack?" Rachel asked, opening the refrigerator.

"Carrwots." Eli replied, climbing onto his father's lap at the table. Rachel prepared his snack, feeling Puck's eyes on her the entire time. She knew she had to get him out of her house before she did something she regretted. She was already emotionally vulnerable.

"Hey buddy, I'll turn on some cartoons and set your snack over here at your table." Puck said, getting up from the table to help Rachel. Eli ran to his toddler-sized table by the window and pressed play on the DVD player.

"He knows how to turn on Backyardigans by himself. Blessing and a curse." Rachel whispered. Puck laughed and set the carrots on the table.

"We've got to get you watching ESPN bud." Puck ruffled Eli's hair and his son swatted his hand away, captivated by the adventure on screen. Rachel busied herself in the kitchen so she wouldn't have to make eye contact with Puck.

"So Camille… totally didn't want kid to spill the beans like that." Puck said.

"Noah, what you do in your personal life is not my business. I just ask that you don't have a parade of women around our son. You have to admit, you don't always make the best choices when it comes to the opposite sex."

"I kinda resent that Berry. I think I did pretty good when I scored you." Rachel knew he was reaching for her reaction. She wouldn't take the bait.

"Nevertheless, he's such a curious little boy with an impeccable memory. I don't want to be out when he suddenly decides to tell me about this woman and that woman being over while he's there. I wouldn't bring just anyone around him at such an impressionable age." Puck loosened his tie and smirked at Rachel.

"You sound jealous Berry."

"Noah, you sound ridiculous." Puck eyed Rachel, but she had her game face on. He wouldn't break her shell that afternoon.

"Cami—Camille is someone I've been seeing for the past couple of weeks. I had to let her be around Eli to see if she could handle it. Doesn't make any sense getting too close to a person if they can't get along with my son, you know?"

"That's lovely. I hope that everything works out to your advantage. This weeke—" Puck cut her off, continuing his tangent.

"She's not Jewish, you know. Ma automatically doesn't like her. She's still stuck on you. Does she still call you every week?"

"Every Sunday. Your mother's a sweetheart though. Plus, the majority of the conversation is spent talking about Eli. I'm pretty sure Rebecca's not obsessed with me like you think."

"Well, I'm glad she spares you the soulmate conversation. Anyway, she's been begging me to bring Eli for a weekend and I told her I'd ask you about it."

"Yes, that's what I needed to bring up. My Dad's cancer has spread to his colon. I'm planning on taking Eli with me back to Lima for the weekend. I know that it would cut into your Saturday time with him, but it'd be great for him to see his grandfathers. And of course, I'd make sure he spent a night with Rebecca. I just need to get back to make sure they're alright."

"Absolutely Rach." Puck got up from the table and quickly grabbed Rachel into a hug before she could refuse it. Rachel hated the way her body melted into his, like a perfect mold. She hated how she automatically inhaled his scent, a mix of cologne and sawdust. It was a unique blend, with the sawdust being a daily tradeoff for an architect. Over the last 3 years, Rachel had grown fond of the smell.

"How are you holding up? Really?" Puck's voice snapped Rachel back to reality. She untangled herself from his arms and looked over at Eli. He was still wrapped in his episode, taking huge gulps of apple juice out his sippy cup.

"It's heartbreaking to hear that he's getting worse, but I have to stay strong for Eli."

"You can't be strong for everyone else and forget about yourself Rachel. I'm taking you guys to Lima this weekend. It'll be like a family vacation." Puck seemed to realize his slip before Rachel could even acknowledge it. "Eli would be able to see his family."

"Noah, that's not necessary. I'm sure you have plans this weekend."

"I do. And they include transporting you to Daddies Berry. I know things are weird between us, but I'm not taking no for answer. We can leave after I get off work."

"Noah, this is ridiculous. You don't have to escort me to Lima. I'm sure you could be spending valuable time with Camille. I'm not sure she'd even be comfortable with the idea of you taking me." Puck ignored Rachel and walked over to their distracted son.

"Guess what Eli! Daddy and Mommy are taking you to see Grandma Becca, Grandaddies Berry, and Aunt Hannah this weekend. Sound good?"

"YAY!" Eli exclaimed. Puck glanced at Rachel, daring her to say otherwise.

So, that was that. Rachel didn't even feel ashamed for being excited about it.

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**reviews please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Here's chapter 3. Read/review loves! **

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Rachel found that the rest of the week sped by. Between her actual classes, working, and dance lessons, Friday was there before she knew it. Her boss at the coffee shop completely understood and found someone else to take Rachel's shift for that evening. Her Saturday singing lessons were rescheduled for next week. Eli's and her bags were packed. She'd stayed up late Thursday night to complete the assignments she would have had to work on that weekend. Nothing was going to stand in the way of her time home.

Rachel was almost radiating with excitement. She knew that she wasn't going home purely for a relaxing visit. By Sunday, Rachel wanted a full game plan from her fathers on how they all were going to beat her Dad's cancer, and that wouldn't be fun to discuss at all. Most of the excitement came from Eli's joy of seeing his grandparents. She knew they would spoil and dote on him more than Rachel did herself. Inside, Rachel knew it still warmed her heart that both sets of Eli's grandparents really loved and cared for him. He wasn't exactly born under the best of circumstances. She and Noah had been a couple, but they were unmarried and they were college students. A baby, especially that early in their relationship, was never in the plan.

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Santana threw a huge party the summer they graduated from McKinley. It was a Graduation/Congrats Gleeks/Kick Ass Next Year, Cheerios/Welcome Home Finn and Puck combination party. Rachel was surprised to even get an invitation. Santana was friendly—as friendly as Santana could get—towards Rachel, but she knew they weren't friends or anything. Even though she wasn't a big partier, Rachel knew it was necessary to attend since it would probably be the last time she and all the other Glee kids were in the same room together. Since there wasn't another number listed on the invitation, she called Santana's cell (she had the home, cell, and emergency numbers for _each_ Glee club member) to RSVP.

"Shit Berry, this isn't a formal dinner. You show up or you don't. But it's about time you come out of that lame ass cocoon and party like a real teenager. My parents are gone for the weekend and we've got tons of booze." Rachel blanched at the horrors of underage drinking and all the potential drunk driving situations that would occur. She held her tongue from lecturing, knowing that Santana might revoke her invitation.

"And you should probably bring a date Berry. Finn's bringing one of his hos." Santana warned. Rachel scoffed. She opened her mouth to express how sincerely she was over Finn, but Santana stopped her.

"Berry, I'm not trying to listen to a monologue. And besides, it's Puckerman's warning—not mine."

"Noah?" Rachel hadn't talked to him verbally since that night in his dorm room. Rachel always thought it was odd that he never came back that weekend. She even asked Finn about it before she went back to Lima that Sunday.

"_He's good, I guess. We talked, but he's never been gone the whole weekend so that's kinda weird. It's Homecoming weekend, guess he just let loose. Or maybe he finally decided to give us some private time." Finn said, laughing. Rachel forced a light laugh._

Then, Puck sent her a late night text (4 a.m. to be exact) about how he was sorry to hear about her Dad's cancer. Rachel tried to call and thank him, but he ignored her call and sent her a text that he'd call her back. He never did. Even when he was home for Thanksgiving and Winter Break, it seemed like Puck made sure he was never close enough to talk to her. A smirk, a nod, or a wave—that's all she got. And now he was sending cryptic messages through Santana?

"I'm not bringing a date Santana. It's ridiculous to be jealous of Finn's new girlfriend. I've moved on." Rachel honestly did feel like she had. Santana rolled her eyes on the other end.

"Whatever Berry. Shit, I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone. Honestly, I don't care who or what you bring. Puckerman just insisted that I tell you. Fucking weird—anyway, I just was trying to pass the message, not make this blow up into a real conversation. You're going to make me late for me and Britt's mani/pedi. OH, and don't wear those creepy schoolgirl skirts. Drunk guys are more handsy than usual." Santana said and hung up before Rachel could say another word. Rachel would heed Santana's advice about the skirts, but she wouldn't take Noah's advice until she talked to him. She called him and immediately went to his voicemail.

"Hello Noah. I was calling in reference to a message that Santana had for me, from you. First, I would like to know why you couldn't tell me yourself. It's not like _I've_ been avoiding _you_ for the last 8 months. Secondly, why would I have to bring a date just because Finn's bringing one? I assure you Noah that I'm a completely independent woman and I don't need a date to make me feel secure, especially around an ex-boyfriend who didn't understand my dreams. I suppose it doesn't even matter now, since I'm not even going to New York again but—" She left too long of a message, as usual. A few minutes later, her phone beeped.

_Saw you left a message. In an exam. See ya at Santana's this weekend._ She knew he wouldn't call her back. Puck avoiding her was something that Rachel couldn't understand. She wondered if he felt bad about giving his advice on Finn. Maybe he thought he was the reason she and Finn broke up and he felt bad about it! Rachel planned to confront him that weekend.

It took Rachel three hours to decide what to wear, and by the time she arrived really fashionably late, almost no one was sober enough to notice that she'd traded her skirt for a pair of denim shorts. She wore an off-the-shoulder top and flip-flops.

"Bout fucking time Berry!" Santana called from the kitchen counter. She was sitting on it, drinking from a bottle of beer.

"And looking really hot by the way. Check out the cute tush on this one. Those skirts were so unflattering." Kurt commented. Rachel made her way to the kitchen smiling. She knew her next statement would probably stun the life out of her classmates.

"Santana, I need a place to leave my keys." Santana's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Toss em to me Berry. And someone fix the girl a drink! Kurt, hook her up with one of those fruity drinks you just made for you and Mercedes. And turn the music up!" Santana yelled.

There was dancing and singing. Drinking and snacking. Gossiping and reminiscing. Rachel was having a blast. She was on her second "fruity drink" when Finn walked in the door with a tall, leggy blonde.

"Ooh, in walks the competition. What you thinking Rach?" Mercedes asked. Rachel scoffed.

"Have you seen my ass in these shorts? There's no competition." Rachel said confidently. Someone behind her choked on his drink and Rachel turned around to assist. Even a little tipsy, she still was ready to give first aid if needed.

"Noah?" Rachel asked. She hadn't even noticed him arrive, let alone be so close behind her. Beside him, Mike and Sam were grinning—each of them taking turns to whack Puck in the back.

"He's okay Rachel." Sam reassured. Rachel examined the scene before her, sober enough to realize that Puck was okay. She shrugged and turned back around, demanding that Kurt made her another drink. Santana objected, demanding that everyone in the kitchen take a round of shots.

"Hold on! You guys were really going to take shots without me?" Finn asked, looking insulted. After a moment, he grinned and pulled the blonde toward him. Rachel not-so-subtly nudged the person next to her, thinking it was Mercedes. She looked up at Puck, who smirked at her.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Puck asked her. Finn was going around the room, introducing "Kayla" to everyone in the kitchen.

"I've never been drunk before, but I guess I am." Puck bumped fists with Rachel, looking like a proud father. She looked up at him and couldn't find the word to explain how she felt. It freaked her out enough to move near Mercedes.

"She's not really that cute." Mercedes whispered.

"She's not even his type. Carole doesn't like her." Kurt spilled. And of course he would know since he and Finn were stepbrothers. "Ooh, they're coming over. Stay smooth Diva."

"And you know Kurt of course. This is Rachel and Mercedes. Guys, this is Kayla." Finn introduced. Rachel could tell that Finn was feeling conflicted about whether or not he should have introduced his new girlfriend to his ex-girlfriend. He certainly didn't have to, so Rachel decided to play along. She also noticed how quiet the kitchen was, realizing everyone was obviously watching the exchange.

"Great to meet you Kayla." Rachel said genuinely. She figured she was really over Finn, but she didn't know for sure until that moment. Even Finn looked a little disappointed with Rachel's nonchalant attitude. Apparently Santana was.

"Okay, can we get these fucking shots or not? Artie, can we please hear some drinking music?" Santana yelled.

To no one's surprise, Rachel was completely gone after two shots. The party in the living room cheered Rachel on as she danced atop a table with Quinn. She traded "Yo Mama" insults with Mike. She insisted that Kurt have one last sing-off with her to prove the better performer—she won, of course. Even Kurt gave her his props. And then she became instantly exhausted.

"Hey Santaaana Banana, I've got to go home. I'm so tired!" Rachel exclaimed. Santana giggled.

"Even though I'm drunk enough to let you call me that lame nickname, I'm not drunk enough to give you your keys."

"But I'm tired. I know I was pretty tipsy before, but I think I'm feeling fine." Rachel said, giggling at the end of her statement. She knew she was lying.

"I'll take her home." Rachel whipped around to see Puck holding her keys in his hand. Santana shrugged and went back to seducing one of the football players. Rachel groaned. For some reason, she was dreading the ride home with him. She was sure if she was sober, she'd be able to remember the reason why.

"Are you okay to actually go home? Daddies Berry won't be ashamed to see their perfect princess come home drunk?" Puck asked as he adjusted her driver's seat as far back as it would go. Rachel pondered his question. After they told her about her Dad's diagnosis, her fathers were watching her very closely. If she came home drunk, they'd probably see it as a cry for help.

"No. They will sign me up to speak with a psychologist." Rachel said seriously. She had no idea where the next words came from, but she couldn't stop before she blurted out.

"Your mom's working tonight. I'll just stay at your place."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I've got nowhere else to go. I just want to sleep this off, then I'll be out your way." Rachel said. She didn't know why she was pressing the issue so hard. Puck looked at her warily.

"Am I that atrocious that you can't do me this one favor? Nevermind Puckerman." Rachel yelled, opening her door to get out. Puck grabbed her arm and pulled her back in.

"Dramatic much, Berry? Close the door." Puck said and drove off.

Rachel woke up the next morning feeling amazing. She had a slight hangover, but she felt so fulfilled. And then she looked down at the arm around her naked waist and jumped up. The memories came flooding back to her then. Not only did she come on to Puck, but she initiated sex too!

"You're freaking out." Puck said sleepily. Rachel wormed out of his tight embrace.

"I've got to go before your mom gets home." Rachel said, throwing on her clothes as quickly as she could. Puck didn't even attempt to look elsewhere. "Do you mind?"

"I've already seen all of you. You don't remember the striptease/lapdance?" Puck grinned.

"I can't believe this." Rachel groaned as more memories came flooding back.

"I didn't force you to do any of it. You were just so—I don't want the lawyer dad to slap me with a rape lawsuit or anything Berry." Puck sat up and looked her in the eye. Rachel glared at him.

"What kind of girl do you think I am exactly, Noah? I was drunk, but obviously I _wanted_ to have sex with you. You think I would just throw around the serious accusation of rape and further victimize women who have actually experienced that horrific crime? How about we go back to the way things were before—not communicating." She grabbed her keys and stormed out the house.

Rachel avoided Puck for the rest of the summer. That was easy—she left in July to go to a 4-week Theatre camp in New York (it was a graduation gift from her fathers) and by the time she got back, it was time to pack up and go to Ohio State.

Avoiding him in Lima was doable, but avoiding him on campus was impossible. It seemed like Puck was everywhere. And he acted like she hadn't been avoiding him each time they ran into each other. In fact, he acted like they were close friends.

"You've got a nice ass in those shorts Berry." He said one day in passing. It didn't elude Rachel that they were the same shorts she allowed him to peel off her body that summer.

"When you coming over to my apartment Berry?" He suggestively whispered to her one time in the library.

"Noah, what happened over the summer was a mistake. I didn't mean to coerce you into anything." Puck smirked.

"Berry, I'd willingly have sex with you any day. Keep that in mind." He winked and walked away. His lurking and flirting went on for weeks. Rachel finally called him out on it.

"Noah, are you just being flirty with me to annoy me or because you're actually trying to pursue me? I'm being serious here."

"Rachel, I've got an arsenal of girls I could just flirt with. I'm tired of this chase you've got going on. This chemistry between us, it's kinda undeniable with the whole two hot Jews thing. I'll pick you up from your dorm Friday. You'll spend the weekend with me."

Puck was a jerk. He was insensitive and crude. But after that weekend, he was Rachel's insensitive, crude jerk. Within the first week of their relationship, Rachel forgot her birth control pill. In June, nine months later, came Eli Noah Puckerman.

They hadn't been perfect, but they had been good together. Rachel couldn't lie—she really missed companionship. More specifically, she missed companionship with Noah. Maybe that weekend back in Lima would be a good opportunity to rebuild a solid friendship with him.

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**I never really intended on this to be a super long fic, so some things just happen without lots of details (ex: Rach waking up after sexing Puck)- so I've been working on some outtakes from FTFT. Let me know if it's something you'd be interested in reading.  
-B**


	4. Chapter 4

**Don't own Glee! hope you enjoy.**

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"So remember how you always say you love my mother?" Puck asked Rachel. She had just opened the front door and Eli ran in and latched onto her leg. She reached down to pick up her son and snuggled him close to her body.

"Of course I love your mom. Rebecca has always been nothing but loving and supporting." Rachel said to. "Hey baby. Sit here for a second, mommy's going to get our bags." Rachel went inside her room to collect their bags, not knowing that Puck followed her.

"You're not going to love her once you hear this. But… I don't want you to freak out." Rachel usually ignored Puck's rants about his mother, but this time he actually sounded like she should be alarmed.

"What is it Noah? And you left Eli out there!" Rachel said. She turned to grab her bags off the floor, but Puck beat her to it and led the way into the living room.

"Please don't freak out." Rachel was getting impatient then and Puck could see it.

"Noah, I'm really not in the mood for jokes. What is it?"

"My mom called Camille and invited her to ride with us this afternoon." Puck said sheepishly. Rachel's heart dropped to her stomach and she didn't really know why. Nevertheless, she wouldn't let him know it bothered her.

"Noah, that's absolutely fine. She's your girlfriend. I'll just drive." Rachel said. Puck looked conflicted. "Really, I'm not upset or offended or anything. Would you still like Eli for Saturday then? I can drop him off to Rebecca's Saturday morning or you could get him tonight and I get him tom—"

"Daddy let's go!" Eli said, dragging his bookbag and pulling Puck's jacket. "Cami's in car!"

"Berry, it's really no problem for you to ride with me. Camille doesn't mind. She kinda knew about this."

"She's in the car now? And what do you mean, 'kinda knew'? As in, she didn't even know you were traveling with the mother of your child? Well, she must think I'm the homewrecker of the year."

"Mommy! Gotta potty!" Eli announced. Rachel smiled at him and followed him into the bathroom. Potty training him had been a nightmare, but it seemed like Eli was finally getting the hang of things.

"My mom honestly sucks right now. I had your playlist loaded on the iPod and everything." Rachel noticed he actually sounded disappointed. And he loaded her playlist? As in a playlist that they hadn't listened to together in almost a year. Rachel could feel things crossing into a dangerous territory.

"Mommy, sit in the back with me!" Eli exclaimed as Rachel washed his hands. She looked at Puck in the mirror.

"_I'm_ actually driving Eli, so you'll ride with me. You'll see Daddy later on tonight." Rachel explained. Eli's eyes instantly filled with water. Before Rachel could calm him down, Eli went into full tantrum mode.

"Can we please just ride together? Eli's going to bitch the entire ride." Puck whispered.

"You don't have to ride with him, so it's not a big deal for you." Rachel snapped. She tried speaking softly to Eli to calm him down, but all her son screamed was "MOMMY AND DADDY RIDE TOGETHER!"

"You shouldn't have told him we were going together." Rachel said under her breath.

"Look Berry, let's just go. Worst case scenario, I'll just bring you and Camille back to Columbus separately."

"Noah, I really don't feel comfortable with this—" Eli must have known it was his cue to yell out an ear-piercing scream. Rachel was completely frustrated with the toddler wailing on the floor and passed him to Puck.

"Chill out Eli!" Puck said, trying to calm the cranky toddler down. Rachel knew he must have skipped his nap that afternoon. She refilled his sippy cup, grabbed their bags, and walked to the door. Once Eli realized both his parents were on the outside, he calmed down.

"Eli, mommy's really upset with you right now. You can't throw these tantrums." Rachel scolded. Eli gave her a smirk in return.

"This kid is hilarious. He's just like his father." Puck said.

"That's not always a good thing." Rachel had been so preoccupied with Eli's horrific tantrum (she would have to research ways to calm a toddler without giving in) that when she saw the woman sitting in Noah's front seat, she panicked.

"I can't do this Noah." Rachel said. Before Puck could respond, Camille exited the car with a huge smile on her face.

"Rachel, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. You've raised an adorable son." Camille said, extending her hand. Camille was tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, and she was gorgeous. That didn't really help the matter.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you too Camille. I apologize for imposing on you and Noah's trip to Lima." Rachel said. She wanted to add in that Eli displayed a horrific tantrum that prevented her from driving her own vehicle, but Rachel didn't want Camille to think she couldn't control her own child.

"Chill out Berry. I told you it was fine already." Puck had already strapped Eli into his carseat. Apparently, Eli was thrilled about ride. He snacked on his dry cereal without a care in the world. Rachel groaned internally and thanked God for always having her earphones in her purse.

_But what if she tries to talk to me? It's rude to ride in a car with headphones. This is so we—WAIT. Rachel, you're an actress. Act the part. _Rachel reminded herself. But the situation _was_ weird, she had to admit. A little bit of female gossip would be perfect at that point, which is why Rachel texted Santana.

_So guess where I am. _Rachel wrote.

_Hopefully curled up against some hot guy after a great sex session. ;-)_ Santana replied. Rachel wished that were the case.

_Ha. If only I was so lucky. Your crafty godson made sure that I secured a ride in Noah's backseat on the way to Lima. Noah's new GF is in the front. What's that saying you use? FML, is it? FML, indeed._

_Get the FUCK out of here Berry. What kind of jackass move is Puckerman trying to pull? And new girlfriend—they're actually serious?_

_Well, apparently it was Mama Puckerman's idea._ Rachel found this interesting. Rebecca had called her the night before and she knew Rachel was coming with Puck. Why would Rebecca ask Camille to come too? Rebecca wasn't a malicious woman, so maybe she just didn't think of anything when she made the arrangements. Then again, Rebecca wasn't stupid. With her, everything had a reason—eventually.

_Puck's mom has something up her sleeve. Wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with reuniting you two. I wouldn't be opposed to that since I do have final say on his relationships. Call me later biatch & have fun on that awkward as fuck ride! _Rachel scoffed. Santana was no help, especially bringing up a reunion between Puck and Rachel. It wasn't news to Rachel that Santana approved of them getting back together. She'd bring it up every so often during their weekly calls, but Rachel never paid much attention to it.

They were about ten minutes into their ride and Rachel was already feeling hopeless. Eli was sleeping, his light snores coming evenly. Camille was reading a magazine. Puck, of course, was driving. It was much too quiet for her liking, so she dug through her purse for her iPod and earphones. As soon as she selected the song she wanted to hear, Camille addressed her.

"So Rachel, was Puck really as cool in high school as he says?" Rachel could see Puck sneaking glances at her through his rear view mirror.

"Noah was very popular, that's for sure." Rachel replied. How did Camille expect her to respond? Better yet, why'd she ask that of all questions?

"Toldja." Puck said.

"What was he like Rachel?" Rachel didn't know why Camille cared so much about who Puck was in high school. Was it some sort of test or something? And really, Noah was _terrible_ towards her in high school. Is that what she wanted to know? Puck was staring at her through the mirror.

"He was a typical high school boy. But Noah's certainly matured." Puck smirked, apparently approving that response.

"Stop it Berry, you're going to make me blush. Honestly Cam, I was an ass to Rachel back then. I was an ass to everyone. Why are you so curious about me in high school?" Camille grabbed onto his hand and smiled.

"I just wanna know everything about you Puck. You mean a lot to me." Rachel may not have fit in with most women, but she was a woman herself and she knew what Camille was doing—staking her claim on Puck.

_I've already had him Camille. And I've known him my entire life. Could we not play this game? _As if Camille knew what Rachel was thinking, she launched back into her questions.

"How come you call him Noah? I thought your mom and sister only call you by your first name?" Camille asked Rachel and Puck.

"Babe, what's up with the 20 questions? Rach and I grew up together. I've always been Noah to her. Apparently, she never caught on to the nickname."

"I thought you guys just went to high school together?" Camille obviously wouldn't stop asking questions. Rachel was thankful for her own communication skills. There was a time to be inquisitive, as Rachel often displayed, but that time was not in front of your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend.

"Yeah and elementary and middle. And Temple. And summer camp. Berry overload." Puck said, more to Rachel than to Camille.

"Wow. That's a lot of history to compete with, Rachel." Camille announced.

"There is no competition. The only common denominator between Noah and I is Eli. It's true that I've known Noah for at least the past 20 years of my life and we certainly know a lot about each other. However, Eli is our number one priority. Neither of us had the opportunity to have both a mother and father in our homes. Because we are not together, Eli is already at a slight disadvantage. Children from two-parent homes are often more well-rounded and—"

"What Rachel is taking all day to say is that we're close and we have to be for Eli's sake. That kid is my world and Rachel gave him to me, no conditions and no questions asked. That's a real big deal in my book. " Rachel couldn't help but touch Puck's shoulder. She knew he was thinking about Beth, wherever in the world she may be. When Camille glanced at Rachel's hand, she smoothly removed it from his shoulder. Looked like Camille didn't know about Beth either.

Rachel took that quiet opportunity to listen from her iPod, not caring about being polite or available to converse. She could kick herself for not driving because there was no way she'd being going through this on Sunday. She'd let her fathers take them back. They'd probably be up for the drive to see how her apartment's faring. If she felt like being vindicitive, Rachel would take Noah up on his offer to take Camille and her back separately. He really should have known better.

Just as Rachel completely focused on the tune of _Faithfully _(what can she say, Journey really grew on her after Glee), she heard Camille speak again. Of course, Rachel had the volume low enough to hear the conversation.

"_Noah_, I just can't help but feel like I'm left out. On a lot." Camille sounded ridiculous emphasizing his real name like that. Puck glanced at Rachel through the rearview mirror before kissing Camille's hand. Rachel pretended to be oblivious.

"Can you chill out? We can talk when we get to my mom's. In fact, I think it'd be way better to get a hotel, if you know what I mean." Rachel rolled her eyes. She couldn't wait to tell Santana.

"Why do you keep looking back at her?" Camille whispered. Puck sighed. He knew Rachel was listening and tried to change the subject.

_How's the ride? You guys are at least halfway there with the way Puckerman drives. _Santana texted.

_Santana, although I am usually well equipped to describe EVERYTHING, I cannot find a word to express how utterly HORRIBLE this ride is. Save me! _Rachel wrote back. Rachel never received a response, but soon Puck's phone was ringing. He cursed under his breath and answered, _finally_ breaking hold of Camille's hand.

_Finally, Rachel? God, you really can't be jealous. Just dealing with Camille in general is ridiculous, so imagine how catty she'll get if she feels you still want him. You and Noah shared something amazing, but it's great that he's moved on. _Rachel tried to convince herself.

"Look Satan, I can't deal with this right now. Don't you have a couple of lawyers to blow?" Puck had to turn his phone's volume down for Santana's reply.

"Yeah, why am I not surprised?" Puck said, looking at Rachel in the mirror again. Camille looked right at him and seethed. "Yeah Santana. No, I'm not worried. Did you add extra bitchiness in your Special K this morning? Not a good idea. Goodbye."

"Santana." Puck said to Camille. She just sighed and turned towards the window. Rachel's phone rang next.

"Hello?" Rachel knew it was Santana, but it obviously wouldn't be good to let Camille know that.

"He wouldn't even pass the phone back to you! What if Puck still had that fucking truck? You and Camille would have to sit right next to each other. Anyway, I want full deets as soon as you get out the car." Although she usually opposed it's gas guzzling, Rachel was relieved to be riding in Puck's SUV instead of his old truck.

"Thanks for that information. I'll get back to you when I get in front of my laptop."

"I should totally call back and you pretend like it's a guy who's trying to take you on a date or something. You're good at that acting, roleplay shit."

"No, but thanks. I appreciate it. Goodbye." Rachel said and hung up.

Finally, Puck pulled up in the Berry driveway. He put the car in park and instantly jumped out to get Eli out the back. He didn't even take the time to unfasten their son from the carseat. He just grabbed the whole thing along with the bags from the trunk. Rachel had never seen him move so fast.

"Camille, it was nice to meet you. I hope you have a lovely weekend with the Puckermans." Rachel lied. She really hoped Rebecca interrogated Camille for hours.

"Yes, you too Rachel. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other since we're both _such_ important parts of Noah's life." Camille's voice was saturated with disdain. Rachel couldn't even respond. She grabbed her purse and Eli's bag from the backseat and shut the door. She was _seething_. Puck looked rightfully apologetic when Rachel looked at him.

"Sorry?" Puck said cautiously. Rachel used her key to unlock the front door since it was apparent that her fathers weren't home. Puck unhooked Eli, who was now awake, and stood him up.

"I know that was pretty rough Rach. I honestly never thought _she'd _be the one to freak out."

"Noah, she was out of line and uncalled for. I don't usually bite my tongue on any occasion—"

"I know that." Puck interrupted. Oh, if he thought he was getting away from a rant, he had another thing coming.

"But I knew the ride would be utterly intolerable if I really told Camille what I thought. I understand that our relationship may be unconventional, but honestly we're not even _that_ close anymore. She really needs to get her head out of the clouds and look at the big picture. I will not allow subtle threats from anyone, especially not your girlfriend, Noah. If she can't understand you and I, then I really suggest that you look elsewhere for companionship. It's ridiculous and pathetic, in the least. I will not tolerate her if she doesn't learn to redirect her anxiety about your relationship onto another source."

"Rach, I… tried to—I just wanted to do you this favor and I fucked it up." Puck looked down to Eli to make sure his son didn't hear the curse word he just dropped. "I'll talk to her."

"Well, I'm not sure a whole lot of talking will go down in your hotel room tonight. Please leave Noah. I'll bring Eli to you tomorrow." Puck reached down to hug Eli goodbye and then quietly walked out the door.

"Backyardigans mommy?" Eli asked, dragging his bag over to the couch. Rachel scooped him up and lay on the couch with him in her arms. Luckily, Backyardigans was one of those shows that always seemed to be on. It was a hellish ride, but it was great to be curled up at home with her son.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Moving right along! Make sure you check out my companion piece to this fic- FTFT: The Outtakes. The first outtake is up! **

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Rachel woke up to Eli's foot in her back and smiled, thankful that Eli actually loved to sleep in his own bed at their apartment. She slid out of bed and went in her bathroom to freshen up. It was only a little after seven and she planned to make breakfast before she had to get Eli ready to go to the Puckerman household. She kissed her sleeping son's head and headed downstairs to get started.

The scene from the foot of the stairs was hilarious, reflecting just how much fun they had last night. Rachel, her fathers, and Eli all sat on the floor the night before, singing Backyardigans songs and making smores in front of the fireplace. They watched some of Rachel's old high school performance tapes and just had a great time enjoying each other's company. It especially warmed Rachel's heart to see Eli so captivated by her singing on stage. She could listen him talk about how pretty she was all day.

It wasn't long before Eli came down the stairs and running in the kitchen. She would have put the toddler barrier up, but Eli was too much like his father. He probably would have tried to climb it and created a worse disaster than he would just walking down the steps.

"Daddy on the phone!" Eli exclaimed, waving Rachel's phone in his hands. Rachel was stunned.

"Did Eli really just answer my phone?"

"You mean, you didn't do it? My son's a genius. Definitely picked up your smart genes, thank God. " Puck said.

"He's an amazing child. What can I do for you Noah?" Rachel said. She was keeping it short in case Camille was in the background. Puck knew Rachel well enough to read her mind.

"She's back in Columbus. She kinda broke up with me in your driveway yesterday." Rachel felt something deep inside, unsure if it was relief, or excitement, or both.

"I'm sorry abo—" Puck continued to talk, cutting Rachel off from her lie.

"If you think the ride to Lima was awkward, you'd never guess how strained it was on the way back to Columbus. I couldn't even make it out of Lima's city limits before admitting I still have feelings for you." Rachel almost dropped the phone.

"Noah, I—"

"And I know you still have feelings for me too Rach." With his statement, it seemed like Rachel's whole world went haywire. Her Daddy suddenly came down the hall roaring, pretending to chase a screaming Eli. The toast popped up from the toaster. The timer went off on the oven.

"I can't talk about this now." Rachel said, looking at the commotion around her.

"That's ok. But Rachel, I'm not letting you run away again. See you soon." Puck said and hung up. Rachel sighed and placed her phone on the counter. He sounded smug, and that was always a bad sign.

"Everything okay sweetheart?" Daddy asked her.

"Yeah, Daddy. Of course." Rachel said smoothly. Eli suddenly appeared at her side, gripping onto her leg. She splashed a little water on him and watched him scurry away.

"Saturday Daddy Day!" Eli chanted. Rachel smiled proudly at her son. She was trying to teach him the days of the week with cute rhymes and the only day he really caught on to, so far, was Saturday.

"Absolutely right."

When Rachel pulled up to the Puckerman household, she was relieved to see that Puck's Land Rover wasn't there. Rebecca met them at the door with a huge smile on her face.

"Bubbie Becca!" Eli exclaimed, flailing in Rachel's arms. She set him free across the yard to Rebecca's waiting arms. Soon Eli was passed over to Puck's 14-year-old sister Hannah, and Rachel was the one locked in a tight embrace.

"Don't worry, I told Noah to scram for a few hours. I know you wouldn't want to see him after that dreadful afternoon yesterday." Rebecca said, as if the entire mess wasn't something that she orchestrated. Hannah snorted and took Eli upstairs with her to play. Rachel set her purse on the couch, happy to smell Rebecca had made a cup of Rachel's favorite tea. She followed the older woman and sat next to her at the dining room table.

"In retrospect, it wasn't as horrible as it could have been. The situation was just awkward."

"It's my fault." Rebecca started. Rachel really wanted to add an uncharacteristic "duh", but held her tongue.

"I invited _Camilla _because I really wanted to meet her. Noah told me you knew about her and I figured I should at least know her too. I wouldn't want just anyone around my grandbaby." Rebecca sounded so innocent, making Rachel suspicious.

"I knew you were riding with Noah and I thought that maybe you needed a chance to be around her too, for Eli's sake. I hadn't imagined that they'd break up so soon after she met you." Rachel looked at Rebecca for an explanation as she sipped on the tea.

"It's no secret that I want you and Noah to be together." Rebecca said sheepishly. "I knew that ride would plant seeds in _Caroline's_ head, but I didn't know it would only take two hours."

"How would it plant seeds? Noah and I barely spoke two words to each other the entire ride." Rachel loved Rebecca, but she had to agree with Noah about his mother's battiness.

"Sweetie, you and Noah don't have to speak to each other for others to know that the connection between you two is electrifying. You can feel it in the air almost. I can see how it overwhelmed you the last time you and Noah were together. Neither of you fully understand how perfect you are for each other." Rebecca said, holding Rachel's hands in hers. Rachel looked away, uncomfortably. Rebecca was like the mother that Rachel never had, yet it always was hard to discuss Noah with her.

"Gosh, how intense! I'm sorry to badger Rachel. You just got here and I'm unleashing everything on you!"

"It's ok Rebecca, I know you mean well. Enough about me though. Hannah sent me a text message that you're seeing someone?" Rachel said. It was the perfect diversion and Rebecca took the bait. Rebecca gushed about Peter, the new man in her life. He'd been one of her patients a few months ago, in the hospital with a case of pneumonia. By the end of the conversation, Rebecca had made plans for a dinner party that evening. While she called everyone in her Lima Community Temple phonebook, Rachel caught up with Hannah who joined her at the table.

"I'm pretty sure Noah's gonna flip when he sees Mr. Peter at the door." Hannah said. Rachel nodded in agreement. Noah was completely possessive of his mother and sister. It was impossible for either of them to date anyone that Puck disapproved of. Since Rebecca was so fond of Peter, she just never mentioned him to Puck.

Right on cue, Puck walked in through the front door. Rachel could tell from his attire that he'd been to the gym. He scooped Eli up and tossed him in the air, much to Rachel's dislike.

"Noah." Rachel warned. Puck smirked at her and did it again, much to Eli's delight.

"How was that bud?"

"Do it again!" Puck tossed Eli in the air again. He glanced at Rachel, who was fuming. Hannah and Rebecca (who'd finished her calls and joined them back at the table) watched the scene with avid curiosity.

"See Rach, he's having fun. You wanna try?" Even with Eli around his neck, Puck stalked towards Rachel as if he would take her right in the kitchen. Rachel shivered involuntarily.

"Even though you may be feeling nice and self-absorbed after your gym session, I would prefer not to be tossed in the air like a rag doll." Rachel snapped. Puck dropped Eli in Rachel's lap.

"Daddy's going to take a shower." Puck said, smirking at Rachel. She would not let Noah embarrass her in front of his mother and sister. It was time to leave that house.

"And mommy's going now. I'll see you later on this evening at dinner, okay?" Rachel gave Eli a kiss on the forehead.

"Leaving so soon? Thought we were going to talk?" Puck asked from the top of the stairs. While he was being playful and seductive a few seconds ago, Rachel could tell he was being serious then.

"I've got errands to run for my fathers." Rachel knew Puck could see through her lie, but she wouldn't change her story. Instead of pushing her, he nodded and went upstairs. Hannah let out a long breath.

"You could cut that sexual tension with a knife!" Hannah exclaimed.

"Hannah!" Rachel exclaimed. Rebecca looked at her youngest daughter sternly.

"I don't even want to know where you learned that phrase, but I was thinking the same thing." Rebecca said, grinning.

"I say this in the nicest way possible: all you Puckermans are insane. See you this evening." Rachel said. She hugged Eli one last time and practically ran out the door. Even in the cold Lima air, Rachel felt like she could breathe again. When he made up his mind to get something, Rachel knew how driven Puck was. She'd forgotten what it was like to be Puck's target, how thrilling it was and how utterly helpless it made you.

Rachel walked back into her fathers' home as if she was floating on air. She didn't know where anything would go with Noah, but she wanted to relish the possibilities. Her fathers were sitting on the couch, both reading and listening to soft music on the stereo. Rachel sat in between the two men, stretching her arms to wrap around both of them.

"You're in a good mood. Better than when you left, I must say." Her Dad observed.

"Rebecca and Hannah are a riot. You guys really are coming to the dinner, right?"

"We'll all go together, but Dad and I will leave before the dinner begins. He hasn't had much of an appetite lately and we don't want to make him stick out." Rachel's mood immediately soured. This trip home wasn't to rekindle anything with Noah, Rachel remembered. She came home to see about her Dad and the cancer that was riddling his body.

"Don't look that way Pumpkin. I'm glad we're all here now. We'll get this little 'talk' that you've expecting out the way." Her dad announced. Both her fathers grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it gently. They started by explaining what happened the past two doctor visits. Rachel wanted to know the plan for the future.

"I have decided, with the input of my doctor, to go for another round of chemo. We'll see how everything looks at the end of my treatment, but if things are not getting any better I'm going to opt out of additional treatment." Her dad explained. Rachel broke loose of their hold and stood up.

"So, if the chemo doesn't go well—if the cancer spreads—you're just going to give up? And quit? And die?"

"Rachel honey, turn the dramatics down a bit." Daddy reached for her to rejoin them on the couch.

"I'm not being dramatic, I'm being very serious! Dad, you can't just give up. We can't make it without you. I can't make it without you. _ELI_ won't understand!" Tears were flowing steadily down Rachel's cheeks. Her dad got up and hugged her tightly.

"Rachel, I'm not giving up. Miracles happen everyday, who says there's not one waiting for me? I just feel that if I'm getting worse, there are better things I could be doing than being hooked to a machine or stuck in the hospital. I want to travel places and do things with you, and your father, and my grandson before—"

"Before you die." Rachel finished. She turned to her Daddy angrily. "And what planet were you on when you allowed him to even make this choice?"

"Rachel, I love your dad very much, but I have to respect his wishes when it comes to his health. We talked about this—"

"So you guys talked about this? Without me? As if I wouldn't have an opinion about this?" Rachel was livid. She'd never really lashed out at her fathers during her teenage years, and at that moment she was making up for lost time.

"I love you sweetie. We will always love you." Her dad pulled her into a tight embrace, triggering Rachel to sob uncontrollably in his arms. He led them back to the couch where the three Berrys held each other until Rachel fell asleep.

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**Yeah, so I'm not one of those people who will force you to review my work in order to get the next chapter, but I would like to know what you guys think! So, if you have a little extra time just leave me a quick review! Since my birthday was yesterday, it'll be like a late bday present- I don't mind!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy St. Patrick's Day! Since I have an awesome group of readers, I posted soon AND combined the next two chapters into one. I swore I heard a collective sigh of relief once Camille got out the picture :)**

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Rachel awoke a few hours later (on her bed, which wasn't where her nap started) with the strongest maternal urge. She had to have Eli, even it was just chatting for a moment. She didn't want to impose on his time with Noah's family, but she was feeling emotionally raw and Eli was the best way to soothe her aching heart. His earlier flirting session was long forgotten when Rachel picked up the phone to call Puck.

"You calling to talk?" Puck answered.

"Yes, where is he?"

"I meant to me Berry. _We've_ got things to talk about." He didn't sound frustrated or impatient, but eager.

"Noah, I just need to speak to Eli." She hated to sound so vulnerable because if there was one person on earth to read her, it was Puck.

"You guys had the cancer talk, didn't you?"

"How'd you know?"

"Just knew. Hold on, I'll get him for you. And Rach, everything will work out fine. You don't have to be strong by yourself, FYI. I've got enough strong and badassness over here for the bo—"

"Noah." Puck chuckled on the other end.

"Just a little comic relief." Rachel could imagine his grin on the other end of the phone. It did make her feel a little bit better. The chat with Eli was shorter than Rachel would have liked, but she couldn't expect a two-year-old to stay on the phone for more than a few minutes anyway.

Rachel was relieved that one of her fathers carried her upstairs during her nap because she wasn't ready to face them after her big meltdown. Honestly, she was a little overdramatic (more than normal, at least) and she'd apologize as soon as she could find the right words. She had a few hours before the dinner at Rebecca's house, so she plugged up her iPod and decided to work out on the elliptical. Hopefully the endorphins from the exercise would lighten her mood, otherwise she'd be the worst dinner party guest.

Before she could get deep into her workout, her phone rang on the nightstand. Rachel didn't pick up and continued working out—until the phone rang again. She jumped off the exercise machine and saw Santana's name.

"Tuesday sure comes a lot sooner nowadays." Rachel answered. It was the second time Santana called her in the last two days.

"I was told to check on you." Santana groaned. "I hate mushy talks and shit, and I'm not very positive or motivational. But I will listen if you need me to." Rachel had to smile at the effort.

"It's ok San, I'm not really up for talking about it anyway. What's going on with you on this Saturday?"

"Don't try to change the subject from you Berry. The blond bimbo is out the way, and Puckerman admitted having feelings for you still—which duh, who didn't know that—and now he's waiting on you to reciprocate. What's your gameplan?"

"Noah tells you everything instantly I see."

"No, I practically had to beat it out of him over the phone! I wanted to know the deets from the ride yesterday, since _you _never called me back and he happened to drop all this on me. I say you fuck him tonight because—"

"Santana, you're moving way too fast! Noah and I—I think we worked before because I got pregnant with Eli within our first month of seeing each other. The main thing we had in common after that point was how excited we were for Eli. We've been apart for almost a year. It would take actual work and effort to make a relationship this time around."

"Yeah that, and you not breaking the deal when he asks you to move in this time. Puckerman has been making goo-goo eyes at you since that 'Sweet Caroline' bullshit in glee club, so I'm pretty sure you have more in common than little Puckerman. Let your guard down Berry, for once in your uptight life."

"Life lessons from Santana. When did I become so fortunate?"

"Great question. I've gotta go though. Tell Dad Berry not to croak anytime soon, at least not until after I graduate. Gonna need some of his lawyer connects in Ohio, just in case I decide to head back that way."

"Santana!" Rachel knew her friend was inappropriate, but there were times when it still shocked her.

"Shit. I'm like one of those goddamn people without a filter. It practically hurts my mouth to say something like 'get well soon' so I hope you caught that, cause I'm not repeating it. Talk to you Tuesday."

Rachel's stomach started to stir, so she went downstairs to find something to snack on. She heard her fathers leave while she was on the phone with Santana and found their note on the counter.

_Hey Sweetheart—went to pick up a few things for you and Eli before you leave tomorrow and a bottle of wine for Rebecca's dinner party. See you in a bit! _Every time Rachel came home for a visit, her fathers sent her and Eli back with a random bag of treats—from some of Rachel's favorite groceries to a new toy for Eli. Rachel couldn't stop the tradition if she tried, so she learned to enjoy it.

Rachel found a salad in the refrigerator from her favorite deli in town, knowing that one of the fathers must have gotten it for her while she napped. It made her feel terrible about her earlier behavior. She knew her fathers wouldn't do anything to deliberately hurt her and her lashing out wasn't helping the situation at all. She still felt guilty while she ate, so she did her fathers a favor by tidying up the living room. She also cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed the floors before she started to get ready. When she got back upstairs, she heard her phone chirping, alerting her to a new message.

_Why the hell do I need to wear slacks and a button down? Wtf does she have under her sleeves? I know you know. _Puck wrote. Rachel almost panicked before she remembered that she had brought appropriate dinner attire.

_Noah, I assume she invited people from the temple. I don't know. Maybe she just wants her adult son to look like… well, an adult._ Puck responded immediately.

_k. I'll have my big boy britches on, just for her. And I'll go commando for you babe. I'll make sure you sit by me this evening._

There was nothing like the object of your fantasies actually coming on to you himself. As memories of their past (and uncountable—Puck had an insatiable sex drive) encounters came rushing through Rachel's head, she heard the front door open and close. Her fathers were home and relief washed through her body. She bounded down the stairs before she got into the shower and acted upon her fantasies, like she'd been doing the past couple months.

"Hey Rach! Don't peek in the bags." Rachel sat at the kitchen counter as her Dad kissed her forehead. Her Daddy came in with a flowerpot and the rest of the bags.

"A flowerpot? Don't tell me either of you are thinking about gardening again. That was a disaster in middle school." Rachel's father laughed along with her. When Rachel was in 7th grade, the three of them decided to plant a garden. It was their most unsuccessful family project, and by the summer they had to hire a professional gardener to fix their backyard.

"I want to try some new hobbies." Her Dad said lightly. Rachel read between the lines. He wanted to try new hobbies before he was too sick to do anything. She smiled at him, not wanting to argue.

"Great idea. You should try fishing too." Rachel said, remembering a horrible fishing trip they took when she was ten. "And I'm sorry about earlier. I was a bit over-the-top and while it's still hard to wrap my head around it, I respect and honor your wishes Dad."

"I'm glad to hear that Rachel. I don't want this to tear us apart. So Daddy and I have made a rule—unless it's an emergency, we'll only talk about my cancer on Sundays." Rachel thought it was a good plan. Her Dad was the positive parent and if he didn't worry, she would try not to worry either.

Even though she would have loved their company, Rachel convinced her fathers to stay home that night. She could tell that neither of them were up to it and assured them that she'd give a plausible excuse for their absence. She was happy to carry the bottle of wine for them, mainly because she didn't even think to bring something herself. If she remembered, she would have made some of Hannah's (and Puck's) favorite cookies. If she didn't leave too late, Rachel vowed to make some for her favorite teenager before her fathers took her and Eli back to Columbus the next day.

Rachel pulled up on the side of the Puckerman household, not surprised to see that she was the first one there. She actually left her house a little earlier so that she could help Rebecca with any last minute touches. She was eager to meet Rebecca's boyfriend, to see her son, and—if she was perfectly honest with herself—to see Noah.

If she knew him as well as she thought she did, Rachel figured Puck would probably turn his charm on full blast. He would be polite and caring in front of the guests while trying to seduce her in private. Rachel came prepared in a wrap dress and knee-high boots. She never intended for her dinner outfit (which she packed in case she went to dinner with her fathers) to seduce Noah, but she was glad it came in handy. Along with bold, red lipstick and freshly straightened hair, Rachel felt sexy. She hadn't felt that way since the beginning of winter break, the month before. Rachel thought of her time with Puck—even when she was swollen and pregnant, he made her feel sexy every day.

Usually Rachel just walked right into the Puckerman household, but she rang the doorbell this time around hoping that Puck would answer the door. It was Hannah and Eli, instead of Puck. That worked for Rachel though because seeing her son was better than anything. Besides, she knew she'd have a greater impact on him from across the room where he couldn't automatically attempt to grope her inappropriately.

"You look adorable Eli!" Rachel was glad she packed the sweater vest outfit that Eli was wearing. Rebecca bought it for him during the holidays.

"Pretty mommy." Eli said, touching Rachel's necklace.

"Yeah Rach, you look hot! I hope this has nothing to do with my brother upstairs." Hannah said.

"Thank you Hannah. You look nice yourself. And no, I simply dressed up for me. Usually I go out to dinner with my fathers while I'm home, which is why I packed this in the first place. And without Eli around, I actually had some time to straighten my hair and get dolled up. You can't imagine how rarely this happens." Rachel explained.

"Well my mom's in the kitchen. We'll see if she believes that lie." Hannah grinned and went upstairs. Rachel didn't know what it was about the Puckermans, but it was a rare occasion that she could lie successfully to them.

"What's this?" Eli asked about the wine bag in Rachel's bag. As Rachel explained about the "juice for adults" she heard Puck gallop down the stairs. She heard him moan appreciatively (at least she hoped that's the sound he made) when he made it to the floor.

"Berry, you're looking pretty hot and I don't even know how you look in front yet. I've got to say your a-s-s looks—" Rachel whipped around, ready to scold him on his inappropriateness—even if he did spell out the word for the sake of their two-year-old's innocence. However, she couldn't get a word out when she laid eyes on Puck. He had on an olive green button down, matched with dark khaki slacks. He was freshly shaven and Rachel swore she could smell his cologne from across the room.

"Rachel, I thought I heard you out there! You look absolutely stunning, but that's not surprising. Could you set the table for me there? I'd ask my children, but I know they don't have a hospitable bone in their bodies." Rachel was relieved for task from Rebecca because she didn't trust herself alone with Puck at that moment. It almost seemed as if he dressed to impress her just as much as she dressed to impress him.

"My fathers sent a bottle of wine. They wanted to come but—" Rebecca smiled sadly at Rachel as she stacked the plates and utensils on the counter.

"I know Leroy probably isn't feeling so hot. I'm guessing you convinced them to stay home. If it was up to him, he'd be cooking the dinner tonight! How are you holding up?" Rebecca spirit was always so nurturing. Rachel had to resist the urge to hug her tightly.

"It's a struggle, but I think I'll be okay in time." Rachel said. She would observe her Dad's wish to keep the cancer talk only on Sunday, so she smoothly changed the subject. "When will Peter be arriving? I'm really excited to meet him, Rebecca."

"Oh he's so handsome Rachel and he's so kind. I haven't felt this way about a man in a really, really long time." Rebecca gushed. Rachel squealed excitedly. Puck walked into the kitchen and stood against the door frame. Rachel felt his eyes on her, but she ignored it and took the dishes to the dining room to set the table.

"What are you squealing for?" Puck asked her. Rachel looked in Rebecca's direction and instantly realized that Rebecca _still _hadn't told her son about her boyfriend, who'd be arriving shortly. Rebecca walked into the dining room and patted her son's cheek.

"I've got a guest coming tonight." Puck scoffed.

"Well no shit, I sure haven't been dusting and cleaning all afternoon for Rach. No offense babe." Even in the middle of telling her overprotective son about her new boyfriend, Rachel noticed Rebecca's slight grin when Puck called her "babe".

"Language Noah. And this guest is someone I've been seeing for the past couple of… well, months. This will be you, Rachel, and Eli's first time meeting him." Puck laughed and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a dinner roll off the baking tray.

"Funny. Hannah would have at least told me that bullshit."

"Noah, you really should get in the habit of watching your language, at least for this evening. And Peter will be here soon. I don't want any _mishegas_ out of you tonight Noah. I'm sorry I didn't mention it before, but you know how ridiculous you get. I really like Peter and—"

"If I say I'll play nice, does that mean I don't have to hear you drone on about this dude? It's a little gross." Noah said. Rebecca smiled widely and kissed her oldest child on his cheek. "Go back and finish cooking, I'll try to help Rachel with these plates and shit. And by try, I mean sit and watch her do it."

"You don't actually plan on behaving tonight, do you?" Rachel asked Puck. He sat at the table, staring at her intently.

"Of course not. I plan on making his evening a nightmare. I don't trust anyone with my mother or my sister." Rachel rolled his eyes at the unnecessary protectiveness. She went back to setting the table and felt his eyes on her the entire time.

"Where's Eli?"

"Upstairs with Hannah." Puck replied quickly. Rachel went into the kitchen to get the rest of the silverware and cups. Puck was still in his same spot, looking right at her.

"Are you staring at me because we haven't talked yet?" Rachel asked him.

"Course not B. I'm looking for the word to describe how you look. I know how big you are on words and I'm trying to remember a really good one. Unless _absofuckinglutely gorgeous_ works for you."

"I appreciate the compliment Noah, despite the swearword you invented." Rachel gave him a smirk of her own.

"As unbadass as this sounds, I miss complimenting you daily. You're hot and incredible at everything and you deserve to know at all times."

"Thanks Noah, I appreciate that. However, I don't need to be complemented daily. I—" Puck gave her a look that made her stop in the middle of her statement.

"You've changed. Cause the Rachel Berry I knew loved to be complemented. She wanted everyone to acknowledge how fucking amazing she was." Puck got up from the table and went to stand next to Rachel. She could feel his breath on her shoulder. Rachel was afraid to turn around and face him, but her body automatically reacted. Both of them stared intensely at each other as Puck moved even closer to Rachel.

"The only thing keeping me from fucking you on this table is that the fact that you'd be pretty pissed afterwards. Cause you set this shit up so nicely and everything." Rachel narrowed her eyes at the man before her.

"Who says I want you to fuck me at all?" Rachel whispered. She knew she was playing with fire, cursing right in front of Puck's face. Her talking dirty was one of his automatic turn-ons. .

"Mmm Berry. You know I love it when you swear. Unfortunately, we have an audience." Rachel whipped around to see Hannah and Eli standing in the doorframe. Hannah eyed the scene before her with a smirk. Rachel knew she was under-prepared for that evening if she let Puck seduce her that quickly. She wouldn't allow him to completely embarrass her, so she steeled herself that instant.

"I don't even know what's going on here, but I know my brother and I can tell he's up to no good. Back away from Rachel, Noah." Hannah instructed. Puck backed away slowly, arms in the air.

"Wasn't even touching her—yet. Way to cockblock." Rachel slapped his arm and glared at him. The doorbell rang and everyone looked at Puck, knowing Peter was on the other side of the door. Rebecca came out the kitchen and gave her son one last look before she went to answer it.

"Noah, I know you think you have to be all overprotective because our jackass dad, but you haven't lived with mom for five years. Peter makes her happy—like stoked all the time. You can't imagine how amazing it is for Batty Becca to finally have her own life and to not be all up in mine all the time."

"F Hannah, you've been hanging around Rachel too long. State your point." Puck said impatiently, abbreviating his profanity because Eli was in the room. Hannah rolled her eyes and continued.

"I forgot you were an idiot. What I'm trying to say is that you're _dead_ if you mess this up for her. I'm sure Rachel wouldn't mind joining forces with me and ma on this either, cause she's excited to meet him too." Rachel nodded in agreement. She grabbed Eli's hand and followed Hannah out into the living room. Rebecca was holding a bouquet of roses and grinning from ear to ear.

Peter was a charming man—he was funny and intelligent—and Rachel was absolutely positive that he and Rebecca were in love. If there was one woman who deserved happiness, it was Rebecca. Rachel could already imagine a charming wedding ceremony for the two of them. It was a relief that Rebecca was so wrapped up in Peter and the other guests (couples from temple), otherwise she would have noticed how obnoxious her son was being. If he wasn't making faces at everything Peter said, Puck was ogling Rachel from across the table.

"So Noah, how's the world of architecture going for you?" The entire table got quiet, waiting for his response to Peter's question. Rachel kicked his leg as a warning and Puck smirked at her.

"It's good. I had a rough start honestly, the firm I'm at is really big on modern structuring. I'm a little more of a traditionalist, so there was a clash. But now that I'm almost a year in, I think they respect that I stand my ground and they're grateful I have that background. All in a days work, I guess." Rebecca beamed at her son. Rachel was even impressed.

"That sounds awesome. Your mom has shown me some of your work. I've got a few contacts in your field if you ever think about relocating." Peter said. Rebecca looked so thrilled that Rachel had to stifle a giggle.

"I'm just so proud of Noah. Never in a million years would I guess he'd be an architect." Rebecca gushed.

"Noah was a little terror during summer camp. I would have never guessed either." Puck and Rachel looked at each other. The comment came from none other than Mrs. Rosenberg. Puck _had_ always been a terror during summer camp, which is why Mrs. Rosenberg hated him. She hated Rachel since the summer before Rachel started 8th grade. That summer, Rachel told Mrs. Rosenberg exactly what she thought about the adult's singing _("You're entirely too flat when you attempt to hit those high notes. If you want, I'll help you out. Well…I could try."_) in front of the other summer camp teachers. When Rachel got pregnant, Mrs. Rosenberg was thrilled to finally have something to hold against her.

"So Rachel, what are you really planning on doing with a theatre degree?" Mrs. Rosenberg asked. Rachel felt someone kick her under the table. She looked up at Puck who smirked at her.

_If Noah had it in him to be nice and respectable, certainly I can do the same. _Rachel thought.

"Well, there are a few theatre opportunities in Columbus. I'm exploring my options, but my utmost priority is making sure that Eli is taken care of."

"You can't take care of him if you're unemployed. I just wish you would have chosen a more practical major." Mrs. Rosenberg had tapped into one of Rachel's biggest fears. Theatre opportunities weren't always lucrative, especially right out of college. It wasn't as if she was in New York either, she was in Ohio.

"Honestly, I think theatre is an incredibly brave choice. So many students now are focused on having a safe major that they forfeit their dreams to the so-called 'real world'. Rebecca tells me you're a fabulous performer, Rachel. I hope to hear you sing one day soon." Rachel smiled at Peter, thankful that his input shut Mrs. Rosenberg up. Rebecca had truly picked a wonderful man.

"I think Noah and Rachel should sing Eli's lullaby. Big brother, your old guitar's still upstairs." Hannah said all too sweetly. Rachel and Puck both glared at her, knowing she was setting them up.

"Absolutely. We'll look forward to hearing that after dinner." The tone Rebecca used let the both of them know it was a done deal, no matter how much Puck would protest.

As dinner progressed, Rachel had a feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was ridiculous to feel nervous about singing after dinner—she'd sung for everyone in the room except for Peter. Besides, Rachel knew she was a talented singer and she loved Eli's lullaby. She remembered exactly when Noah gave it to her. It was the day before Rachel went into labor and she was sitting on her couch, miserably pregnant. Noah had been Eli's nursery all afternoon strumming on his guitar. Rachel noticed he had been playing the same melody for the past couple of days, but she so worried about her upcoming delivery that she never asked about it. When Noah handed her a piece of scrap paper and started singing, Rachel realized he'd written a lullaby. It was that moment that Rachel knew Puck would be the greatest father, not that she had any doubts anyway.

"Gotta tinkle mommy!" Eli tapped Rachel's shoulder, interrupting her memory. Puck scoffed.

"Guys don't tinkle." Puck mumbled as he got up from the table to take Eli to the bathroom. It was a discussion he and Rachel had all the time.

"Yes, but there is no other appropriate word for a two-year-old to say." Rachel replied.

"Seeing you two go back and forth is always hilarious. I know I'm only 14, but I think that you guys should try to work things out. I'm 99% sure that the only reason Noah hasn't been being an ass to Mr. Peter is because you're here." Hannah whispered beside Rachel.

"It's not that simple Hannah."

"We know Noah is far from perfect, but I'm just saying—I'd really love you as a sister. I mean, I know we're kinda like sisters because I know I can call you for anything. But I mean real sisters. Like marriage." Of course, there would be a lull in the conversation when Hannah mentioned marriage. Everyone looked at Rachel, including Puck who was returning from the bathroom.

"Dinner was absolutely fabulous! Let's toast to the wonderful cook." Rachel picked up her wine glass but only took a small sip since she was preparing to sing.

"You're too kind Rachel. You and Noah clear the table, we'll meet you guys in the living room for the mini show." Rebecca said. Between Hannah and Rebecca, Rachel honestly felt like a puppet. They were orchestrating something and Rachel didn't like not being in control. As everyone cleared out the dining room, Rachel began to stack the plates and carry them into the kitchen. Puck followed her lead, not saying a word into he crossed into the kitchen.

"We don't have to sing it if you don't want." He said. Rachel looked up at him, tired of the intense look he'd been giving her all weekend.

"Why wouldn't I want to perform? I'm Rachel Berry, remember?"

"We don't have to sing _it_. It, as in the lullaby. I know you don't sing it anymore… after we broke up. I didn't want to make it awkward for you." Rachel scoffed, despite how unladylike she thought it was.

"Trust me, if I could survive through yesterday's car ride, you suddenly telling me that you still have feelings for me, and your mother and sister's plotting—I think I can sing _one_ lullaby to my son." Puck just nodded. They cleared the table without another word to each other and when Puck wasn't looking, Rachel drank the rest of her wine from her glass. Both of them heard fast little footsteps and turned to the kitchen door. Eli ran in and tapped Puck's leg.

"Bubbie Becca said hurry up!"

"Let's just get this over with." Puck said. Rachel scooped Eli up and followed Puck out the kitchen. Hannah was sitting down, holding Puck's guitar with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I know it's kinda early for your bedtime song kiddo, but this is something I wrote for Mommy to sing to you before you were born. Maybe you'll remember it." Puck explained to Eli while he adjusted the strap on his guitar. Rachel took a seat with Eli in her lap. She ignored her pounding heart when Puck began to strum.

_Now the day is over  
Night is drawing nigh  
Shadows of the evening  
Steal across the sky  
Now the day is over  
The sun has said goodnight  
The crescent moon has risen  
To share it's gentle light  
Now the wind is whispering  
In stillness soft and sweet  
All of nature's creatures  
Now are sound asleep  
The birds and beasts and flowers  
All have gone to sleep_

Rachel had no idea why her eyes were watering after she finished singing, but she wouldn't dare look up at Puck. Every time she sung that song, it reminded her how much she loved Puck and how grateful she was to have him. When the relationship ended, Rachel started to sing other lullabies (mostly "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") so she wouldn't have to be reminded of the man she missed so much. She should have listened to Puck's warning in the kitchen instead of acting nonchalant.

Rachel finally composed herself, thankful that the attention was on Puck for writing the song. While they dated, Rachel stumbled upon (secretly read) his songbook a few times. She was impressed and urged him to perform some of his originals. But with working, long hours in the architect's lab at school, and Eli—Puck hardly had extra time to breathe.

"And Rachel, your voice was made for musical theatre. God, just imagine if Eli grows up and has half the talent that his parents have." Peter mentioned. Rachel smiled at that thought. Some nights she would just lay in bed, creating a mental list of all the career options Eli could choose.

"Thank you Peter. I'm a long way from Broadway but—"

"Doesn't mean you'll never get there." Puck said. Rachel wished she hadn't looked up at him. Rachel instantly realized that the pounding heart and churning stomach had nothing to do with the singing. She was _lovesick_. Her body wanted Noah just as much as her mind and heart did.

_This is ridiculous. You cannot jump back into any relationship, even if it is with Noah, without discussing the implications on Eli. Snap out of it. _Rachel steeled herself once and stood up.

"I'm going to give Eli his bath before I leave."

"Sit, you're not going anywhere anytime soon. We're having so much fun!" Rebecca commented. She was barely paying attention to Rachel, as she was in the middle of a conversation with someone else.

"Rach had a long day. And besides, you had her as the help since she's been here. Setting plates and clearing tables—geez woman." Puck said to his mother. Rebecca looked ashamed. Before she could jump into an apology, Rachel stopped.

"Don't pay attention to Noah. I had no problem helping. Today was pretty exhausting though. I'm just going to go home and get some rest. Come on sweet boy, it's bath time!" Rachel walked up the stairs before Rebecca could say anything else. He didn't say a word, but Rachel heard Puck's footsteps right behind her.

"I can give him his bath, if you want."

"Noah, it's no problem. I love bathtime with Eli." Eli could sometimes be a terror during bathtime—getting Rachel and the entire bathroom wet—but he was pretty calm that evening. Rachel attributed it to Eli being sleepy. He probably didn't get the proper nap earlier which meant he'd sleep soundly.

"Mommy, look at my Puhzilla." Rachel had her back turned as she was grabbing Eli's towel, but she didn't even have to look at him to know which body part he was referring to.

"Who taught you that?"

"Daddy did! Puhzilla, Puhzilla, Puhzilla!" Eli chanted. Rachel wrapped Eli in his towel and carried him to Puck's room.

"Before you fuss, I heard him. He doesn't even say 'Puckzilla' right." Rachel glared at the man before her. Even angry, it didn't change how hard her heart beat around him.

"You'll be explaining this to anyone who calls and complains." She kissed her son goodnight and walked out the room.

Rachel said her goodbyes, gave her hugs, and stepped out the house. For the second time that day, Rachel was grateful for the January chill. It snapped her out of the stupor that she was obviously experiencing. She resolved to allow Noah his "talk" so that they could both get it out of their heads. Rachel couldn't imagine feeling those emotions every time she was around Noah for the next 16 years.

_Lullaby lyrics from: http:/ www. kididdles. com /lyrics /n006. ht ml_

**

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Random Fact: Did you know that you can spell offence like offense? As in "no offense" , like I used earlier. Totally blew my mind! Let's chalk it up to me being journalism major. ****(Admitting that will now make me super embarassed if you guys find typos. But hey, I'm only human!)**_  
_


	7. Chapter 7

**Happy Friday! It's an awesome day (at least it is here in SC) so read, review, then go enjoy the day!**

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Her fathers didn't stay long on Sunday. Rachel would miss them, but there was always something relieving about being back in her own apartment. Eli had come back with Puck that morning and would be arriving to her later that evening. Rachel could go about her Sunday routine—singing and cleaning—peacefully until her toddler arrived. However, she found herself finished rather quickly since she tidied up before she left on Friday.

It was rare that Rachel actually had nothing to do and she hated the feeling. It wasn't as if she had plenty of friends to call to hang out. She was certain that most of her classmates (even in her dance class) hated her, but she was used it. She got along well with her coworkers at the coffee shop, but she didn't know them well enough to call for anything besides work related issues. Santana was the only person Rachel could consider a friend, and she was all the way in California. That truly made her feel alone.

Instead of wallowing too deeply in self-pity, Rachel decided to catch up on some of the shows she had recorded on her DVR. Before she could get deep into the episode, Eli's signature knock came from the door. She could hear Eli and Puck tussling on the other side.

"Delivery for Miss Rachel Berry. I've got one terrible two-year-old who caused a major scene in the ice cream shop." Puck said on the other side. Rachel opened the door and saw her son hanging upside down from his father's neck.

"You're awfully rough with him Noah. He's just two, you know." Puck dropped a bag in her hand and tossed Eli on the couch. Rachel glared at him.

"Don't give me that look because I brought your favorite. Your son was an absolute nightmare in the shop. He wanted to taste every last flavor. That's definitely _your_ indecisive side coming out. _I_ always know what I want." Rachel eyed Puck, wondering if his statement had an underlying meaning.

Puck turned on Rachel's television and changed the channel to Eli's favorite show. The toddler was immediately captivated and took a seat in his little recliner.

"Sit, enjoy it. We're talking." Even if Rachel wanted to avoid the conversation, she knew Puck's tone was serious.

Rachel never expected to be having his talk so soon, without any warning. She wanted to prepare, or know exactly what would be discussed, or _something_. Instead of sitting on the couch like he expected, Rachel took a seat at the kitchen table. Puck smirked, but moved across from her without a word.

"The last time we both sat at this table was when you were breaking up with me." Rachel didn't know what surprised her more—that he started the conversation like that or that he was absolutely right.  
"I didn't break up with you Noah. I simply suggested that we go on a break."

"Rachel, you had it in writing. The entire agreement. I think that's a break up and a pretty official one that that. To this day, I can't pinpoint what happened. A concrete reason that ended it all." Rachel noticed how genuinely confused he looked. She felt like she was reliving that evening all over again.

"Noah, I—it's so hard to explain. We were arguing a lot and—" The breakup made so much so much sense when it happened, but now Rachel was struggling to find the reason herself.

"We only started arguing after I started showing you those blueprints. And then you started to shut down." Rachel didn't have an appetite for ice cream anymore. This talk was too much, too fast, too soon.

"I have no friends here. None in my classes, none at my job, not even a random neighbor that I borrow flour from. I'm not the easiest person to get along with and I'm different—oddly different, I know that." Puck opened his mouth to interrupt, but Rachel put her hand up to stop him. "The theatre majors here lack the passion I have. Most of them want to go out to LA to be actors. A true theatre major would never even consider that as an option."

"Rachel, I'm honestly confused right now."

"Noah, I never wanted to stay in Ohio. I'm not understood in Ohio. I belong in New York. I belong on Broadway. I'd have friends there. I'd have people who would not only understand me, but praise me. Buying land, building a house—it would tie me to Ohio forever. At least, that's what I thought when you brought up house plans. And honestly, how silly would we be to make these plans without even being married?"  
"Well, that was in the works." Rachel's mouth dropped. Puck had always said he didn't plan on getting married until he was 30.

"You make it seem like I would have called up a contractor that day. Rachel, I was planning that for our future. I never really considered the idea that you hated Ohio. I've been thinking this whole time that you just weren't ready for the commitment, or some shit like that."

"I don't think there's any bigger commitment than that two-year-old in hearing distance of your vulgar mouth."

"I've missed you Rach. When we broke up, I was pretty pissed at you. Then I started to ignore you, since I was seeing other people. But over the past couple of weeks, I've finally noticed how unhappy you are and I really just wanna fix things. I almost resent myself for trapping you here. If I hadn't been so eager to get you in bed that night—"

"Eli was a product of a bad series of decisions on both of our parts but he's absolutely the best thing that's happened to me." Rachel reassured.

"So where do we go from here?"

"I'm not sure what you expect from me Noah. No matter how we proceed, we have to be sure that Eli is our first priority. I mean, what if we try again and things don't work out? Eli is old enough to understand a lot." Puck grabbed Rachel's hand and looked into her eyes.

"Guess we gotta make it work then."

"But Noah—" Puck leaned across the table and kissed Rachel. As much as her mind protested, Rachel's lips felt like they were home. Puck pulled away far too soon with the biggest grin on his face.

"Mmm Berry, I almost forgot how sweet you tasted. And that's just your mouth—I can't wait to taste the rest of you." He moved to the chair next to her.

"I need time to process this Noah. I'm not entirely sure that this is a good idea." Being so close to him was making her body react automatically. Rachel felt too out of control, so she stood up and stood against the counter.

"Look Rach—coming to you like this is about as unbadass as it gets. But surprisingly, it doesn't even matter. You've kinda ruined this whole relationship shit for me. When we broke up, I never wanted to be in one again. Then when I actually started to date little things would annoy me. Picked this one girl up for dinner and she sung off-key in the car. I pretended you had an emergency and I had to pick up Eli before we even got to the restaurant." Rachel couldn't help but chuckle. Puck stood up and stalked towards her.

"I tried a second time and I can't remember what the hell was wrong with that girl. I told myself that if the third time wasn't a charm there had to be a reason that something was wrong with these girls. Camille obviously didn't work. I guess the reason is you." Puck was right in front of her face. The feeling in her stomach and the pounding of her heart was so strong that Rachel actually felt like she would be sick.

"I love you." She whispered. Word vomit—but it made her feel so much better. Puck backed away and looked at Rachel.

"What'd you just say?" He was grinning. Rachel knew he heard her.

"I said I love you, Noah." She couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. It was liberating to finally admit how she felt about him. There was so much she wanted to talk about, so much to discuss and before she could start, Puck cut her off with another kiss. Rachel melted into Puck, kissing back with fervor. Rachel felt his hands traveling lower until they were firmly cupped around her butt. She pulled away and looked over at Eli who was staring at them.

"Daddy what are you doing?" Eli asked. He ran into the kitchen and stood in between them.

"I don't think he liked me kissing you." Puck whispered.

"Daddy and I were just hugging." Rachel kneeled down and explained to Eli.

"That's not hugging." Eli said. If her son didn't look so disturbed, Rachel would have laughed. Puck kneeled down so he'd be on Eli's level too.

"It's a grown up hug. When you're older, you'll understand. Especially if you're with someone as hot as your mom." Rachel swatted Puck's shoulder for that remark.

Once Eli relaxed (although, it seemed like he kept one eye on his father the entire night), the rest of the evening went by without a hitch. Rachel whipped up dinner for the three of them and after dinner, Puck forced Eli to watch football with him. As Rachel cleaned the kitchen, she looked at the two on her couch and smiled. Puck was explaining the game to Eli, who actually seemed to understand.

While the two were bonding, Rachel took that opportunity to sneak off and take a shower so she could process everything. Rachel's heart told her the situation was right, but her mind was working overtime. She had to be practical about things, no matter how much Puck would protest. Reuniting would be amazing. Noah was passionate and kind, and a great father—Rachel truly adored him. But things just tended to get so serious so fast. It's what freaked her out the last time they were together. She could honestly see herself spending the rest of her life with Noah, but she didn't want to rush into forever so quickly.

With that in mind, she debated on whether or not she'd have sex with Puck that night. Despite how bad she wanted Noah, Rachel decided to wait. Obviously, Rachel wasn't a prude in any sense but she wanted to start slow this time. Maybe it would ease her mind. Satisfied with her decision, Rachel dressed in a matching pajamas set and padded out into the living room to inform Puck.

"Hey Rach!" Finn greeted from the couch. Rachel eyed the case of beer on her counter and turned back to the men on her couch.  
"I told Puck it wasn't a good idea." Finn said, looking down shamefully at his can.

"Nonsense Finn, you guys are fine. I just didn't know you'd be over here, that's all. It's good to see you." Rachel hadn't seen Finn a few months. Sometimes he'd be over at Puck's house when she dropped Eli off. The awkwardness of dating the pair of best friends had long worn off and Rachel enjoyed having Finn around as Eli's honorary uncle.

"I didn't think you'd mind babe. Eli's having a pretty good time with the guys. He even yelled touchdown at the right time while you were in the shower." Puck said without looking up from the television. Finn looked between Rachel and Puck, before grinning widely.

"So you guys _are_ back on? It's about time. I didn't believe Puck, but I can tell. It's kinda weird how happy I am for you guys though considering I—"

"I don't even need you to finish that thought. The game is on. Shut up." Rachel groaned. She'd just stopped Eli from saying "shut up" a few weeks ago. He had picked up the phrase from daycare, of course.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Eli exclaimed. Puck looked rightfully ashamed.

"Noah, a word please." Puck followed Rachel into her bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"Any chance we could skip the lecture and go straight to—"

"I'll deal with that next. While I was in the shower I was thinking—"

"About me? I'll get Hudson to take Eli to the store for an hour. God, I've missed you." Puck pulled Rachel close to him and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around him. She shivered when his lips made their way to her neck.

"I can't wait to get inside you Rachel. It's like home to me." His words snapped Rachel out of her lust-induced haze.

"No, that's why I brought you in here. To tell you that we have to wait."

"WHAT?" Puck grabbed Rachel's hand and cupped it over the bulge in his pants. "This won't go away until _you_ do something about it."

"You're being overdramatic Noah. I just feel that we could at least wait a few weeks before we begin to reengage in sexual activities. There's so much to cover and talk about. So many things we've missed in each other's lives over the past months. I was thinking that maybe we could somehow take a trip during my spring break in March and consummate our revived relationship then."

"You're fucking serious, aren't you Berry? That's like two months from now!"

"Certainly you can wait two months Noah. Unless you don't think it's worth it."  
"Of course I think you're worth it. You're worth having RIGHT now. Rachel, you're just thinking too hard. You want me too." He unleashed his full bedroom eyes on Rachel and eased her back on the bed. Before she could protest, Puck fixed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately enough to distract her. His fingers did a quick job on the buttons of her pajama top and he palmed her breasts. Puck kissed a trail from her lips, down her neck, to her breasts, taking each one in his mouth. Rachel couldn't fight the moan that slipped from her lips.

"Just hearing you moan made me almost bust an old school Hudson. And I'd like for him to not hear anymore of your moans—ever again. I'll tell him to get lost." Puck said possessively. Rachel pushed him off her and rebuttoned her top.

"Actually, it'd be a good idea if both of you left for the evening. I was serious when I said no sex. You've got to believe that I want you just as much as I've always wanted you, but I really want this time around to start off normally. Dates, family outings with Eli, and maybe cuddling some nights. Noah, I know that you have needs. Trust me, if you can just be patient I'll be sure to take care of _every last one_."

"You had to say that so seductively, didn't you?" Rachel couldn't help but laugh at the scowl on his face. He looked just as childish as his son, although Eli actually had a reason for his childishness.

"It won't be that bad." Rachel gave him a chaste peck on the lips. "Now get Finn out of here. I don't want to see him after I moaned so loud."

"Well, it's not like it'll happen again anytime soon anyway." Puck sulked and walked out the bedroom. "Hudson, out. Both of us."

**

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So there's the reason for the breakup. I didn't want it to be the result of a someone cheating b/c that would just open up trust issues and all that. It may seem like the reconciliation was quick- it kinda was- but I don't want to make this fic too big that I can't finish!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's Ch 8! I had a busy week, sorry it took so long!**

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Besides the incessant whining (coming more from the 23-year-old man, rather than their 2-year-old son), Rachel had been having the time of her life. She and Noah were two weeks into their relationship: _part 3_, and although the lack of sex was frustrating to him, Rachel could tell that Noah was trying to be supportive and understanding.

As apprehensive as Eli was at first, he was loving the fact that both of his parents were together more often. Rachel knew that it didn't mean anymore to Eli than having 2 people to play with, but she attributed his excitement to the reconciliation being a good thing.

Smiling to herself, Rachel knocked on Puck's front door with her right hand. Firmly secured in her left was her overnight bag—it was the first night they'd actually spend together. After she made Puck promise to behave, she agreed to stay over after her dance class. Puck opened the door, looked down at the bag, and smirked at Rachel.

"No funny business Puckerman." Rachel reminded. Eli ran to her and she scooped him up in a tight hug, as usual.

"S'not fair B. It's not healthy either. I _know_ how long it's been for you." Rachel and Puck had discussed their sexual history during the time they were broken up. _Puck-5. Rachel-0_. Rachel didn't know who he was more upset with: her for not having sex, or himself for _wanting_ her to have sex with other people.

"Well, I survived. And honestly, you're being positively overdramatic. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the theatre major."

"Whatever Berry. The only way I can sleep at night after finding out that you haven't had sex since the dark ages is that fact that I was the last person who satisfied you." Rachel ignored her boyfriend (or significant other, she wasn't really sure what they were calling themselves) and focused her attention on Eli. The toddler was telling Rachel a detailed account on how he and his father took a trip to the grocery store. Rachel eyed Puck in the kitchen when Eli mentioned "pretty flowers".

"The kid is a blabbermouth—wonder who he got that trait from? Can't even surprise my woman with flowers." Puck went into his bedroom and reappeared with a large bouquet in a pink vase.

"What's this for?" Rachel asked. "God, this is beautiful Noah."

"What's it for? Probably just cause you're the most kickass woman in the world, even though you're withholding sex. I love your evil ass, that's what these are for." Rachel's eyes watered looking at the man before her. Certainly, Noah had his own personal way with words, but she appreciated the sentiment. She kissed him passionately.

"Noah, that's awfully sweet. I just—"

"Save the waterworks babe. You crying makes me want to do things to make you feel better. And apparently I'm on punishment from that until your spring break, which is the most bogus thing I've ever hea—I'm ruining the moment."

"I'll ignore that. But, I have noticed that the third time around, you're a lot more romantic. Is it because you're trying to get me in bed or because you really want to make my heart soar?" Puck took the flowers from Rachel and sat them on the counter. He pulled her close to him.

"A little bit of both." He whispered, sucking on the tip of her earlobe. Rachel giggled and pushed him off her.

"Absolutely incorrigible!" Rachel exclaimed, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. She peeked inside Noah's pot, even though she could smell what he was making before she walked in the door: chicken fajitas.

"There's a word I haven't heard in a while. It means I'm doing something right!" Rachel rolled her eyes at Puck.

"I'm going to take a shower Puckerman."

"Pretty sure you need some help with that." Puck said with a smirk.

"Then who'd watch our son?" Rachel teased.

The rest of the evening went by quickly. After her shower and dinner, Rachel settled on Puck's couch with her script for class the next day. Tomorrow was her opportunity to perform a role that Professor Carson was passionate about (Rachel didn't know why—the character was bland and unmoving), and Rachel wanted to do her absolute best. Puck went about bathing Eli and getting his things ready for the next day. Rachel wondered if he always prepared the night before or if he was trying to impress her. Nevertheless, she didn't interrupt the father-son bonding time and continued to review.

After an hour or so, Rachel got tired of the script. She'd memorized the lines (even though the rest of her classmates still had to use the script) and she was absolutely positive that her performance would surpass the effort of her classmates. She went into Eli's room and saw him quietly playing with his toys. Puck was sitting on the floor, playing a video game with the volume down.

"Why are you guys in here?" Rachel asked. She took a seat on the floor in between the two and rested her head on Puck's shoulder. Without taking his eyes from the screen, he kissed Rachel's forehead.

"I thought you may need some quiet to go over your script. So we're being quiet for mommy, right bud?"

"Right." Eli agreed. Rachel loved the conversations between father and son. Eli and Puck had a communication like no other.

"Trust me, I've learned a script under the worst circumstances ever. Remember when I was in that play during my sophomore year?"  
"Eli was sick. God, that was miserable for all of us. And I didn't even get to see you perform." Puck had stayed home with Eli during all Rachel's practices and performances. Those were the most trying months for the both of them.

"I almost gave up during that. That was almost my breaking point." Rachel said. Puck paused the game and looked at her.

"Mine too Rach. But I knew if I gave up, I couldn't provide for you and Eli. I didn't want to disappoint you, more than anything."

"We've come a long way Noah. Never in a million years would I think that we'd be here. Together." Puck pecked her lips then went back to his game.

"Oh yeah, call Santana. I told her to leave you alone since you were going over that script." Rachel scoffed.

"Running interference on my phone calls?" She used a sports term since he was playing a football game. Puck smiled proudly at her.

"Kickass reference babe. And Satan probably only has more ideas on how you can torture me, cause I know this s-h-i-t is all her idea. What will you guys come up with withholding next? Food, water, and air?"

"Those are necessary for life Noah. And besides, Santana is not a big fan of my self-imposed celibacy."

"Eli, please never treat daddy like mommy treats him. She makes him suffer over the simplest things." Rachel ignored him and went out to the living room for her weekly call.

"Well hello Drama Queen. Finished up with your script?" Santana answered.

"I am. Santana, it's a horribly bland character. I feel like I'm playing a—"

"Can it B. I know you're over at Puckerman's for the night. Please tell me you guys are gonna fuck." Rachel groaned.

"Don't you want to know about my day? My life since last Tuesday? Is this all you ever want to talk about is my sex life, or lack thereof?" Santana had been thrilled about Rachel and Puck officially getting back together _("Fuck yes Berry! I'm so glad that two of my favorite people are now getting guaranteed good sex)_, but had not been supportive of Rachel's spring break consummation plan _("What the FUCK Berry! Are you retarded?")_.

"No, I don't want to know anything about you until you can tell me in detail how Puck's dick feels in your—"

"Oh my God, Santana. I would not tell you that!"

"Except when you're drunk. I vaguely remember a night out with you over winter break bitch." Rachel groaned, remembering that night in December. She, Santana, and Brittany went out in Columbus while Brittany and Santana were in Ohio for break. After Rachel got insanely drunk at the club, she proceeded to question the other two about lesbian sex and described how great Puck was in bed.

"You never…" Rachel hoped she wouldn't have to complete here sentence.

"No, I never told Puckerman how great of a kisser you are when you're drunk. Or that you were talking nonstop about his dick."

"I still don't remember the first part. You're making that up." Rachel was being vague on purpose because she didn't want Puck to take anything from the conversation.

"You don't have to believe it. Me and Britt experienced it. You passed out before you took it any further. You're pretty freaky when you're drunk Berry." Santana teased.

"This is probably our all-time shortest conversation. Goodbye Santana."

"Until next week Ber!" Rachel hung up, thankful for the end of that embarrassing conversation. She wondered how Puck would react when he heard that story. She wouldn't tell him until after they started having sex again, seeing no reason to tease him anymore than she had been.

Rachel went back into Eli's room and saw Puck still in the same spot. Eli was stretched across his bed, fast asleep. Rachel wrapped the covers securely around her son and hummed a quick song to the sleeping child. By the time she was finished, Puck had turned off his game and wrapped up the cords.

"Grownup time?" he asked.

"Noah, I'm serious." Rachel said sternly. Puck pouted and led the way to his bedroom. Rachel cut off the light and plugged in Eli's nightlight.

"Can't I at least get to third base?" Puck asked, taking off his shirt. Rachel steeled herself against the display of skin and toned muscles. Puck never agreed to play fair and tried to tempt her at every moment.

"At 23, you're still using the baseball analogy? Just no below the belt action." Rachel said. She felt herself giving in little by little. Honestly, she'd be surprised if they actually made it to the end of February without having sex.

"March is too far away." Puck said, reading her mind. "What about Valen—shit. I hope you're free next Saturday. And have a nice dress." Puck dug around in his briefcase (Rachel was still amazed that he carried one) for something.

"Do we have Valentine's Day plans?" Rachel asked excitedly. After seeing Puck's grimace, she got worried.

"There's this stupid charity Valentine's dinner thing for the firm. So you know Alan—dude from work I sometimes mention? Yeah, well he mentioned to our boss that I had a girlfriend—you—and now I've gotta come and bring you. Which it would be awesome to bring you to show everyone that I've got this kickass girlfriend and to make some of those desperate secretaries back off, but who wants to spend Valentine's Day at work?" He finally found what he was looking for and handed Rachel a card. It was the invitation.

"I think it's sweet. A charity dinner? And Noah, the firm's clients will be there. This will be an awesome opportunity to network and make an impression on them." Puck still didn't look enthused.

"A night of kissing ass to add on the asskissing that I do every day. Most of those guys are pricks anyway. Just because of their failing marriages, they decide to host this shit on Valentine's Day."

"Noah, you should know that nothing makes me happier than seeing you being so successful. And you know I never made a big fuss about Valentine's Day. I think this will be much more exciting than an overly expensive dinner. But what will we do with Eli? It will be nearly impossible to find a good babysitter for Valentine's Day." Besides Finn, no one else had ever babysat Eli. To Rachel's knowledge, Finn had been seeing one of the teachers at the middle school where he taught PE. He'd most likely have plans.

"Oh yeah, this gets better. My bosses have even pimped out their kids to babysit for this bullshit. There's this one guy I like—Mr. Connors. I'll ask him if his daughter is still available." Rachel got under the covers and found Puck staring at her.

"Is something wrong Noah?"

"You're getting in bed already?"

"Yes, but I thought we could cuddle and talk for a few before I went to sleep though." Puck ran into the bathroom, presumably to take his shower and hop in the bed. While he was in the bathroom, Rachel reflected on his statement about the "desperate secretaries". She wondered if Noah had ever slept with any of them and couldn't help but feel a little insecure.

_No one can make you feel inferior unless you let them. You haven't even met these women yet. Don't you remember how ridiculous Camille sounded? You WILL NOT act like that next weekend. _Rachel thought to herself. But she knew how important first impressions were, and Rachel decided then that she'd be a knockout for the charity dinner.


	9. Chapter 9

**I've been neglecting you all! Sorry- I have been SO busy. Hope you enjoy- this is one of my favorite chapters!

* * *

**On Valentine's Day, Puck had been secretive. Rachel knew he had something up his sleeve, but chose to act oblivious and play along. She had a few surprises of her own. First off, she'd spent the entire week painstakingly searching for the perfect dress for the charity dinner. Rachel wanted to look sexy, gorgeous, and tasteful (yes, _all three_) and none of the sales associates could help (meaning they eventually stopped listening to her). She finally found a smoking hot strapless red dress that hit right above her knee. The second surprise she had for Puck was the matching bra/panty set she'd have on under the dress. It went well with her third surprise—the gift of Rachel Berry herself.

Rachel had had enough. She was horny and she wanted to make love (and also have wild, dirty sex) with her boyfriend. It was natural—especially after the dry spell she'd been having. Seeing Puck walk around without shirts or in his boxers was driving her insane. And Rachel knew herself well. If Puck impressed her at the charity dinner, like she thought he would, there was no way she could ignore it. Something about Puck being a professional turned her on.

Because it was "Saturday Daddy Day," Rachel had time to do a lot more things to prepare. She got a manicure and pedicure, along with her hair washed and trimmed. With time to spare and a little daringness running through her veins, Rachel stepped into her usual waxing salon (sometimes her eyebrows got out of control) and requested the unusual: a full Brazilian wax, except for a star-shaped patch of hair. Despite the pain, Rachel found it honestly hilarious. She knew that Puck would either fall out laughing or be incredibly turned on—or both.

By the time Rachel got back home, it was already going on three and she was tired and hungry. She hadn't been so excited about dressing up for an event since prom! While she fixed herself a light lunch, she called to see what Puck and Eli were doing.

"Hello Mommy!" Eli answered.

"Hi sweet boy. What are you doing?"

"Daddy got me a—a basketball!" Eli exclaimed. Rachel heard the phone drop and Eli's voice fade away.

"We've got to get him into sports as soon as he's old enough. You should see the way he handles a basketball Rach." Puck sounded amazed. Rachel knew that if Eli tried to kick a basketball like a soccer ball, Noah would still be impressed.

"That's excellent. We really should." Rachel agreed, as long as Eli would have extracurricular activities relating to the arts as well. "What time will you be here before we take Eli to the babysitter? I'd like to meet her."

"Well she lives on the other side of town, so I'll just pick you up afterward."

"That's no problem. I'll just get dressed and come to your house. What time will I need to be there?"

"No, I'm picking you up. And Lizzie's a good girl. Eli will be fine with her."

"Noah, I have no worries about Eli being with her. I just want to meet her, that's all." Rachel was getting frustrated. She knew this had something to do with Noah's plans, but she wanted to at least meet the babysitter before she left her son with him.

"Babe, just trust my judgment on this one. You will meet Lizzie afterwards, but before would be—"

"Okay Noah. I trust your judgment." And she really did. Noah was just as overprotective of Eli as Rachel was. She knew he'd never put him in harm's way or leave him with anyone less than competent.

"I appreciate that. I've gotta go, but I'm picking you up at 6:30. Don't forget your overnight bag either—you promised to stay over tonight."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea. I don't want you to have any expectations just because it's Valentine's Day." Rachel smiled at Noah's groan.

"You're gonna make me spend Valentine's night alone? I've been abiding by your above the belt rule, but you can't do this to me. It isn't fair!"

"Fine Noah." Rachel said, faking exasperation.

"Thanks babe. You'll enjoy tonight. See you soon!" Puck hung up before Rachel could ask any questions about what he meant. She didn't know what he had planned, but she would enjoy her night indeed.

Rachel had less than two hours before Puck arrived, so she moved around her apartment quickly. She laid out her dress, along with the nude heels she'd be wearing and her accessories. Seeing everything together gave Rachel an instant burst of confidence. Rachel packed her overnight bag and then hopped in the shower to shave and sponge off. While she applied her makeup, Rachel added some hot rollers to her hair just to add a little curl. At 6, Rachel was slipping on her dress and stepping into her heels.

When she looked in the mirror at the final product, Rachel grinned. Successfully sexy, gorgeous, and tasteful. She was thankful for Santana at that moment as she snapped a mirror picture with her phone. That's what women did, right- send pictures of themselves for their girlfriend's approval? It wasn't even a minute before Santana was calling her phone.

"Vavavoom Berry! Normally, you're like an underrated hot, but you look fucking awesome tonight! Puckerman isn't going to let you leave though." Rachel's mood instantly took a nosedive. Noah wouldn't like her ensemble?

"Chill, I can practically imagine you with the sad eyes. I mean he's going to fuck you out of that dress before you're able to step out the door. You're _that _hot right now." Santana had a point. Rachel had invested a lot of time and money in her look for that evening and Noah's uncontrollable hormones would not ruin it for her.

"It's him calling now. I'll talk to you Tuesday!" Rachel said and switched calls. "Hey hon."

"Hon? It's rare that I hear a pet name come out your mouth."

"I just thought 'hon' would be appropriate on Valentine's Day? Are you outside? I'll meet you downstairs."

"Not yet, but that's exactly what I was calling you for. I'll let you know when to come downstairs. See you soon." Rachel finally snapped out of staring at herself in the mirror and sat in the living room. The quietness of the apartment sent Rachel's thoughts into overdrive. She wasn't nervous, but she certainly was anxious. Before she could think too deeply, Puck called and asked her to come downstairs.

Rachel peeked out the window, knowing he'd call before he actually got on the street. All she saw was a white limo (probably for Mr. & Mrs. Hargrove, Rachel's upstairs neighbors)—no Land Rover. She figured he just called ahead so she'd have time to get downstairs. Rachel slipped on her peacoat, cut off the lights and locked the door behind her. When she made it to the lobby, Noah was leaning against the wall with his signature smirk and one rose in his hand.

"Noah, you look absolutely dashing." He astounded Rachel dressed in his tuxedo. She was really glad Noah didn't come upstairs because it may have been her fault for the sex that could have occurred.

"Thanks babe. You look great and I haven't even seen what you have on under that coat." Puck hugged her and kissed the top of her head. Rachel took her time unbuttoning her coat and when she looked up, Puck's mouth was wide open.

"Wo—wha—damn it Rachel! Are you seriously expecting me not to fuck you senseless tonight?" These were the looks Rachel was used to. Puck looked like he would take her right in the lobby.

"Do I look alright? It's not too—"

"It's fucking PERFECT babe. And your rack looks perfect. God, I can just imagine how great your ass will look after you take off that jacket. I'm seriously gonna nut in my pants if I look at you longer than a minute at a time." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"That's a little crude, even for your tastes. And quit exaggerating."

"I'm so fucking serious Rach. Fuck the dinner, please let's go back upstairs." He pulled her close, rubbing his arms up and down her back.

"Absolutely not Noah. Besides, we're on a sex hiatus, remember? I didn't get this dressed up to stay cooped up in the house. We'll have a great time tonight, come on." Rachel teased. Puck let out a groan and finally remembered the rose in his hand.

"Shit, I popped it when I saw your dress." The stem on the rose was bent and Rachel giggled. She knew the sex later that night would be out of this world. Puck held the door open for her and Rachel looked around for his truck.

"Where's the—"

"Your dress caught me so off-guard that I forgot about this. Your limo awaits Miss Berry." Puck made a grand motion with his hand and the driver opened the door. It was time for Rachel's mouth to drop.

"Oh Noah!" Rachel exclaimed. She could already feel the tears pricking at the eyes. Puck rolled her eyes at him.

"Sexy lady, it's cold outside. No time for tears babe, get in." Rachel climbed in, as instructed, and Puck slid in after her.

"Noah, a limo wasn't necessary." Rachel could only imagine how much it was to reserve a limo on Valentine's Day.

"Yes it was. It's our first Valentine's Day back together. This is the kind of stuff you deserve, being a future star and all babe." Rachel grinned, thinking of the star she'd surprise him with later.

"You've honestly made me so happy already Noah. Is this what you were being all stealthy about all week? Why I couldn't ride with you to take Eli?" Puck narrowed his eyes at her, probably thinking that she didn't notice anything.

"No more questions from you woman. What you can do is crawl over here and make out with me before we make it downtown."

"We can't make out! I'll get lipstick all over you and then I'd have to reapply and—Noah!" Puck ignored her excuses and slid her over to him, lifted her on his lap, and firmly planted his lips onto hers. They spent the first 15-minutes making out and the last five trying to refresh their looks.

"That lipstick tastes gross. It looks really kissable though, fucking deceiving." Puck complained.

"Well, no one told you to attack me. Maybe that'll teach you to keep your lips to yourself next time." Rachel fussed. Puck grunted.

"Didn't hear you complaining Berry. And I hope you know that when this little celibacy timer is up, I'm fucking you for days on end. You will not be walking right for a while." Puck fixed his bowtie as the driver pulled up in front of the hotel where the dinner was held.

"I certainly hope that's a promise." Rachel replied with a wink. Puck sent her a smoldering look and she was relieved the driver opened the door before she could completely give into him. She locked arms with him and walked inside, speechless because of the beautiful décor. She couldn't even imagine how much it would cost to spend a night there.

"Rach, this is gonna be pretty lame. I can already tell." Puck said, once they descended the stairs. Rachel looked around the room and saw everyone in beautiful gowns and tuxedos, the music sounded fantastic coming from the live band, and waiters were walking around with all types of appetizers and champagne. Rachel didn't know what Puck was looking at—the evening looked like it'd be absolutely amazing.

Puck must have realized how quiet Rachel was being, because he looked down at her and squeezed her hand. Rachel looked up at Puck, her eyes reflecting how excited she was.

"How'd I know you'd be stoked about this? Shit—don't look now, here's comes this douchebag." A guy walked over and roughly patted Puck on the shoulder. Puck, in turn, tightened his grip on Rachel.

"Whew Puckerman! Where are you hiding these hot women? The blonde was smoking, but this one right here—" Rachel knew she had to interrupt before Puck exploded.

"I'm Rachel Berry. Pleasure to meet you." Rachel said, extending her hand.

"I'm Harvey. And the pleasure is all mines." Harvey kissed Rachel's hand and she groaned internally. Rachel could feel Puck fuming next to her.

"Noah, let's get a glass of champagne. Nice meeting you Harris." Rachel said, leading Puck away. "God, he was a douchebag." Noah smirked at Rachel using normal language.

Puck spent the next couple of minutes introducing Rachel to the people that he actually liked, including his work friends: Alan and Victor. Puck had graduated with them from OSU and even though they didn't talk at school, they became friends at work. She and Puck sat with the two men and their dates.

"Rachel, I saw you met Harvey." Alan commented.

"Is he always so—" Rachel started, not wanting to say anything too derogatory.

"So gross? Absolutely. Everytime I meet Vic for lunch he's always staring at me. He looked pretty annoyed when you two walked away though—what'd you say to him?" Alex, Victor's girlfriend asked Rachel.

"I called him Harris. I could tell by the way he introduced himself that he's the kind of guy that really likes his own name." Rachel said. The table laughed and Alex gave her a high five. Puck winked at her.

As dinner began and went on, the table conversation was nonstop. Rachel really adored Alex. She was funny and smart and full of conversation topics. Alan's date Katie was nice, but too reserved Rachel's liking. Alex even invited Rachel out for a movie the next week. She gladly agreed, ecstatic that she'd have her first real friend in Columbus. Rachel looked at Puck, who was beaming at her.

"What are you smiling at?" Rachel leaned into him and whispered. He kissed the side of her head.

"Just you. You're—" Puck stopped speaking and looked up when he heard Alan coughing. It was the obvious "hey man, something's about to happen" cough. Rachel looked up and saw a woman heading straight in Puck's direction, glaring at Rachel the entire way.

"Fucking Madison." Puck said under his breath. So, this must have been one of the desperate secretaries he mentioned. Rachel took a deep breath.

"Should I be alarmed?"

"No, I'm a black belt in karate." Alex whispered. Rachel forced a light smile at her new friend then turned to her boyfriend, seriously awaiting a response.

"Of course not Rach. She's just frickin obsessed. I mean, I know I'm hot but this chick is batshit crazy. And I'm not talking about my Broadway star brand of crazy either. Like, obsessive stalker shit." Puck whispered.

"It's true." Victor chimed in. Alan nodded in agreement.

"Good evening Alan, Victor. Hello, Noah." Madison said. The way she was looking at Puck made Rachel's blood boil, but she refused to play the insecure girlfriend role.

"Hey Madison. Rachel babe, meet my coworker Madison. Madison, this is my girlfriend Rachel. Eli's mom." The poor girl looked devastated. Rachel was glad Puck had done all the work for her. Instead of a full on introduction, Rachel just smiled politely. Soon Madison was gone and the table laughed about the potential catastrophic possibilities that could have happened.

After dessert was served, Rachel had a flashback to the many formal dinners she attended with her fathers. She and Noah needed to dance, right then.

"Honestly Rach, no one's dancing." Puck whispered. He didn't want to dance at all, let alone be the first on the floor.

"Trust me Noah. I'll explain it out there. Now, will you make me stand up first and extend my hand to you?" Puck groaned, stood up, and escorted Rachel to the dance floor. He was thankful for all of Rachel's random dance lessons in glee because he actually knew what he was doing.

"Rachel, everyone—I mean everyone in this damn room is looking at us." Rachel smiled at him.

"Absolutely. I've been to plenty of these types of dinners as a little girl. Everyone always stalls around, waiting for the first couple to go out on the floor. We're the first couple, so that makes you look like a leader. Additionally, you're an excellent dancer. See how the board of directors are looking at you? They're impressed."

"Berry, you're insane."

"I just wish there was some way you could sing for them too. Then they'd be double surprised. People love to know that you're well rounded."

"Innnnnsaaaane." Rachel rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Insane, and yet look who's heading our way with his wife. Do my eyes deceive me or is that Mr. Charles Daniels of Daniels & Moore Architectural Firm. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you work for that company and your very superior boss will be next to us in 3 seconds." Rachel whispered in Puck's ear.

"You two are amazing dancers. Reminds me of Charlie and me when we were your age." Mrs. Daniels commented. Rachel flashed one of her brilliant smiles.

"Oh thank you so much Mrs. Daniels. It's always nerve-wracking to be the first out on the dance floor, but Noah is an excellent dancer." Rachel gushed.

"Are you a natural Puckerman or have you taken lessons?" Mr. Daniels asked.

"I'm a natural learner. But, a certain woman in a red dress, _ahem_, has been forcing her personal lessons on me over the years." Puck said, glancing at Rachel.

"Same here Puckerman. Gladys has taught me everything from a simple waltz to the tango." Mr. Daniels explained.

"I'm afraid Noah and I have you beat. We know the chicken dance." Rachel joked. She had no idea where it came from, but it made the Daniels laugh hysterically.

"Well it seems I will be challenging you and your lovely date to a chicken dance duel in a few. Watch out Puckerman."

"Charlie, let Noah and—" Mrs. Daniels paused for Rachel's name.

"Rachel." She replied sweetly.

"Right, Noah and Rachel enjoy their Valentine's Day dance. Take care lovelies." Mrs. Daniels said and led her husband away. By then, the dance floor was packed with other couples. Rachel batted her eyes at Puck, who looked at her in awe.

"I haven't spoken to Mr. Daniels since my interview. I didn't even think he knew my name." Puck almost sounded starstruck.

"He probably didn't until he asked someone who had the nerve to dance first. And now look, he'll probably never forget you. Especially if he actually does challenge us to a chicken danceoff."

"I love you Rachel Berry." Puck said and kissed Rachel lightly.

"I love you too Noah Puckerman."

Mr. Daniels never challenged them, but he did approach their table. While most of the guests were dancing and mingling, he pulled up a chair to talk. A few people glanced over (including Harvey, who was staring), so Rachel knew his presence was a big deal.

"Rachel, my wife is flagging me down trying to get you over to her. Please, if you don't mind, see what the old woman has to know." Mr. Daniels said.

"Oh of course, Mr. Daniels." Even though Rachel was anxious to see what Mrs. Daniels wanted, she also wanted to stay and see what he'd be talking about.

"Rachel dear, please have a seat." Rachel followed directions and sat down next to Mrs. Daniels. There were three other women at the table, all of them in their 50s. Rachel had no idea what they wanted, but older adults were her crowd. She could sit and charm them all day.

"Good evening." Rachel said politely.

"We were just sitting, talking and wondering why you seem so familiar." One of the other women said. Rachel had no idea who any of those women were and had never seen them before that night.

"Do you work here at the firm too?" another woman asked.

"Oh no ma'am. I'm actually still a student at OSU. I'm a theatre major there, finishing up my final semester."

"Right! Rachel, you're the girl who played in that play a few years ago. My goodness, your voice is phenomenal. How come you didn't try to go straight to Broadway?" Mrs. Daniels asked. Rachel told a condensed story of her circumstances, including her dad's cancer and Eli. She didn't know how the women would react to her being a young mother, but Rachel didn't detect any negative judgment.

"Well, good luck to you Rachel! I don't want to keep you from your handsome and talented boyfriend any longer." Rachel said goodbye and went back to the table, where Mr. Daniels was just leaving.

"My wife's awfully infatuated with you Miss Rachel. You're spunky, just like she was at your age. I'm sure she'll be sending a fruitcake your way very soon." Mr. Daniels said, shaking Rachel's hand.

"Mrs. Daniels is absolutely lovely. It was great meeting her and the ladies tonight." When Rachel sat back down at the table, everyone looked at her.

"So seriously, can I attend your class on how to impress the hell out of company heads and practically secure promotions for my boyfriend and his friends? Because that's what you just did." Alex said. Rachel looked around the table at the three guys, who were practically in shock.

"Did something happen?" Rachel asked.

"Uh, only if you count the head of the company joining us at our table, asking Puckerman to help with a project he's been working on, and Puckerman agreeing to help with our help. You're still an asshole, but you're a dependable asshole Puckerman." Alan explained. Rachel turned to Puck, wide eyed and in shock. Puck was loyal and he made sure his friends would get their hard work noticed too. When he let his goodhearted character show, Rachel absolutely adored the man next to her.

"I doubt any of this would have happened if Rachel didn't charm the hell out of Mrs. Daniels." Puck said, smiling down at Rachel. It was a mix of his bedroom eyes and awe. Either way, Rachel was feeling the same thing for him.

"If you don't marry her, I will. No offense, honey." Victor said to Puck, then to Alex.

"Not if I marry her first babe. Can you come to my office party and talk to my boss? I'm just an intern, maybe he'd give me a real job." Alex joked. Puck took Rachel's hand in his.

"She's all mine and I'm not sharing. Now that the excitement's over, I think we're going to blow this joint. See you ladies later and see you guys Monday." Puck got up, helping Rachel put her coat on. She couldn't be any more ready herself. Rachel just hoped that Eli was sleeping and ready to stay that way for the rest of the evening. She and Noah had some serious celebrating and catching up to do.

They walked out the ballroom, hand in hand. Rachel smiled up at Puck, completely turned on by how handsome he looked that night.

"Tonight calls for a celebration Rach. Can we _please _pause the no sex rule, just for one night?" Noah whined.

"Noah, no. Be fair, okay?" He still had no idea what Rachel had up her sleeve. His pout looked so pathetic that she almost spilled the beans.

"Well, can't I just give you a little below the belt thank you for tonight? You're so amazing. Everyone seriously loves you."

"Everyone _does not_ love me. But your friends and their dates were great people. I really like Alex. And as far as the project with Mr. Daniels—Noah, I couldn't have secured that for you. Obviously, Mr. Daniels knows of your work. I just used a little trick to put you out there, that's all." Rachel said. Noah squeezed her hand and smiled down at her. Rachel finally realized that they weren't walking in the direction of the front door.

"Where are we going Noah?" Rachel pulled them to a stop.

"You trust me?" Puck asked, loosening his bowtie. Rachel rolled her eyes at him, as an "of course". Puck took his bowtie and wrapped it around Rachel's eyes.

"Noah, I can keep my eyes closed. I'm not _you_." In the past, Rachel was the one who had to wrap Puck's eyes closed. He guided her down the hall, they made a right, and then they stopped. Rachel heard a door open and close. She instantly smelled roses and knew exactly what Puck had done.

"Noah, absolutely not. This must have cost a fortune."

"Rachel, if you take that blindfold off I will be really upset. Say hi to Lizzie while you're at it."

"Hi Mrs. Puckerman." Rachel didn't bother to correct the young babysitter while her head wrapped around Noah's many surprises. First off, Eli was never across town. He was inside the hotel with her the entire time. Then, Noah had actually gotten them a room for the night.

"Thanks so much Lizzie. See you next time." Puck said. Rachel heard the door open and close again.

"Can I take this makeshift blindfold off now? Where's Eli?"

"He's asleep. Taste this." Rachel opened her mouth without question and bit into a chocolate covered strawberry. So, Noah was pulling all the tricks in the book that night?

"Chocolate covered Berry is my favorite." Puck whispered in Rachel's ear, taking it into his mouth afterward. Rachel shuddered, but she refused to have her own surprise ruined.

"Noah, I can't." Rachel said, taking off the bowtie blindfold. Seeing the room was almost like an assault on her senses. The room itself was gorgeously decorated. The floor was covered in rose petals. The lights were dim and the balcony gave the perfect view of the city. Rachel looked over at the table. Along with the chocolate dipped strawberries, there was a bottle of champagne with two flutes.

"I love you." Rachel blurted out.

"I know. I love you too. Can I pleeeeease show you how much I love you tonight?"

"You've shown me a lot today Noah. The limo, the hotel room, the decorations. This has all been the most amazing Valentine's Day ever. You don't have to show me anything else."

"I know I don't. But Rach—God I feel like such a perv practically begging you for sex." Puck said and sat down on the pull out bed that Eli was sleeping on. He pulled Rachel down next to him.

"I know you think I'm sex-crazed or something—which I am, but this is different. When we're having sex, it's like we're connecting on an entirely different level. Honestly, this is the first time I've ever said this crap out loud, but Rachel I feel like our souls connect. I've had a lot of sex in my lifetime, that's no secret. But there's no sex like sex with you, sex with the woman I love. Sex with you gave me the most important person in my life. I swear, if I had just boring old missionary sex with you for the rest of my life I'd be fucking satisfied." Rachel was holding onto her willpower by a string.

"No sex Noah. But, if you can promise to an innocent bath together, we can do that." Rachel said. Puck looked disappointed, but at that point, he was going to take what he could get.

"Okay. I'll call you when the bath is ready." Noah said dejectedly and walked into the bathroom in the suite. Rachel turned off the lights in the main room (she was thrilled to see that Puck even brought Eli's nightlight to the hotel room) and rushed into the suite to strip off her dress and heels. She cut off the lights and lay in the middle of the bed, with her matching red bra and panties.

"Rach did you—holy shit." Puck came out the bathroom to turn the lights back on and was shocked to see Rachel on the bed.

"Happy Valentine's Day Noah Puckerman. Come unwrap your gift." Rachel said seductively. Puck practically flew on the bed and attacked her lips while his hands roamed her body. Besides his grunts and moans, Rachel didn't hear a word from Puck. He had her arms pinned at the head of the bed and slowly kissed up and down her body. Rachel tried to wiggle free so that she could participate.

"Stop." It was the first word he'd uttered since they began. His voice was deep and throaty and Rachel became even more turned on.

"I just—" Puck cut her off by attaching his lips to hers. He reached under Rachel and unhooked her strapless bra. Finally, she stopped trying to fight him and let him run the show—at least for that moment. Puck locked eyes with Rachel grinning seductively as he peeled off her thong. He kept eye contact as he ran his fingers from her belly button down to her core. Rachel saw the shock on his face when he felt her star patch. Puck looked down and then back up at Rachel. She couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"I have got the best fucking girlfriend in the world. Where the hell did you get this shit done? When?" Puck asked through his laughter.

"I got it done today on an impulse. I thought it'd be a nice surprise." Puck worked his fingers in between her legs and Rachel knew all talking was over for the night. Four orgasms later, Rachel collapsed backwards onto the mattress gasping for air.

"Well, I've worked up an appetite. I'm going to bring in those strawberries and champagne. Rest up for orgasm five." Puck warned.


	10. Chapter 10

Rachel's next few weeks were spent in absolute bliss. It wasn't the fact that she and Puck had been having nonstop sex like they were still teenagers, although that was awesome. Rachel just felt like things were falling into place. She was doing well in school (not that school had ever been a concern), Puck was really impressing everyone at work, and Eli was content. It was so much easier with Puck and Rachel working as a team, rather than two individual players and Eli seemed to benefit from it.

Before Rachel knew it, March was barreling in and it was the Saturday before her Spring Break. While Puck and Eli enjoyed an unseasonably warm day at the park, Rachel picked up an extra shift at the coffee house. She also had two singing lessons scheduled for that afternoon. Since they'd been back together, Rachel had been working less and Puck had been spending more. Although he insisted that it was no big deal (to him, it really wasn't), Rachel wanted to retain her independence. Even though they were back together, there was no reason for Puck to try to take care of Rachel, Eli, and himself. Besides, Rachel had stumbled upon Puck's recent credit card statement. The limo ride and hotel stay had cost him a small fortune, which is why she insisted against a Spring Break vacation. She would pick up a daily shift at the coffee shop and come home (whether it was her apartment or Puck's) to take care of her two favorite guys.

Rachel was chatting with one of the regulars when she heard the door chime. Eli bounded into the coffee shop, running into a chair. Puck followed behind, picking up the screaming toddler. Rachel looked at the scene before her, chuckling to herself. It wasn't funny that Eli was hurt, but Rachel could already see the deterioration of the firm boundaries she'd set for her son. If he was with Rachel, Eli would have never ran into an establishment, especially not watching where he was going. For some reason, Puck corrupting their son made Rachel comfortable. It was like she expected it and was used to it.

"Remember the precious toddler of mine I'm always raving about? Apparently his misbehaving alter ego decided to make an appearance today." Rachel said to Eddie, the loyal customer at the table near the counter. Rachel came from around it and took her crying son from his father.

"Shh, shh baby. It's alright. This is why you shouldn't run." Rachel cooed, rocking Eli back and forth. She couldn't completely comfort him because another customer walked in. Rachel was the only one in the shop while the owner ran to the post office, so she had to handle it. Eli finally calmed down and Puck set him back on the ground while Rachel went back behind the counter. While Eddie made small talk with Puck and Eli, Rachel tended to the middle-aged woman.

"Do you know what you'd like today?" The woman rolled her eyes at Rachel.

"Obviously not. I'm still looking up at the menu." Rachel was used to customers like that—the pretentious customers who were used to big chain coffee shops like Starbucks. She never got offended by it, just stored the experiences. She was sure they'd come in handy for a future role.

"Well, just let me know when you're ready." Rachel said sweetly. She glanced at Puck who was making faces at the woman. Rachel held her index finger up, signaling him to wait before he left. Puck and Eli took a seat. When Rachel glanced back at the customer, the woman was glaring at her.

"I'd like a medium black coffee—" Rachel wondered why it took her so long to decide on such a simple item.

"Since there's no good selection here." The woman continued. "And I'd like a brownie. Slightly warmed."

"Sure thing." Rachel said. She heard Eli giggle and glanced over at him quickly. Eli was entranced by Eddie's pocket watch. Puck was glaring at Rachel's customer.

"Isn't there someone to help you? Are you the only one here?" Rachel wasn't one to lose patience quickly, but the woman was being difficult for no reason. Rachel quickly handed over the coffee and put the brownie in the microwave oven for a few seconds.

"The owner ran to the post office quickly. But we're a quaint little coffee shop and don't need much staff on Saturday afternoons." Rachel explained.

"Hm. I don't see how the owner can run a business with just a girl in charge of the store. I mean, it's a little rid—"

"Hey lady!" Rachel turned to Puck with wide eyes as he addressed her customer. "She made your damn coffee and heated the damn brownie—pay her and leave if you're so unhappy here!"

Rachel was absolutely mortified. She rang up the items and the woman slid her card before Rachel could even give a total. She walked out the door without a word, only a death glare at Puck.

"Noah!"

"Look, she wasn't going to bitch at you like that without me saying something." Rachel could tell he was fuming. The woman was rude, but it didn't really bother her that much. Rachel's boss walked in the door before she could calm him down, but luckily it was her time to get off anyway. She clocked out, hung up her apron, and met Puck and Eli outside the shop.

"Noah." This time she said it softly, grabbing his hand. They locked eyes and Rachel could see how angry he was about it.

"Rach, I didn't mean to yell at her. But tell me she wasn't a b-i-t-c-h?" Rachel laughed and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"She was a miserable woman, but I've already forgotten about it honey. I've got to run so I can make it home by my lesson." Rachel reached down to pick up her son. "See you soon Eli, and stop running so much sweet boy."

"We'd been running the whole time in the park. The running may have been caused by me." Rachel eyed her boyfriend and tossed him one of his own signature smirks.

"I guess I'll deal with you later Puckerman." She winked and walked in the opposite direction to her car.

The trip back to her apartment was quick and Rachel had enough time to change out of her work clothes and into some jeans and a relaxed top. She had a great relationship with both of her singing students, so Rachel felt comfortable being casual with them. Besides, the lessons were in her home—things didn't get any more relaxed than that.

Her 3:30 session was with a 9-year-old named Ellie. She was of the beauty pageant circuit, and Rachel spent most of their sessions prepping Ellie for songs that she would sing in future pageants. The little girl was talented, but Rachel had learned Ellie's heart wasn't in singing nor pageants. Ellie loved art. So even though Ellie's mother paid Rachel for vocal lessons, Rachel always wrapped up their session with Ellie drawing something for her.

Ellie's session came and went and soon her 5:30 student, Bryce, was walking through her door. Rachel adored him as well. Bryce was 15 and his voice was just changing, but he had one of the strongest, most soulful voices Rachel had ever heard. She constantly begged Bryce to join his high school's glee club, but wasn't surprised to learn that glee club still wasn't the popular thing to do. Rachel respected him for at least trying to hone his talent, even if it meant lying to his friends about visiting his grandmother for an hour and a half every so often.

"What are you gonna do when you graduate Rachel?" Bryce asked her. She hated that question more and more with each passing day.

"Not sure yet. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Not really. Guess I'm just kinda hoping you won't skip town or anything. Then I'd have to join stupid glee club to get my singing fix." He said grinning. Rachel hit his shoulder playfully.

"I bet you'd like glee club if I taught it." Rachel had toyed around with the idea of becoming a teacher before.

"You'd be pretty kickass too. You're hot so the guys would dig you and you're awesome so the girls would dig you too. Pretty win-win." Rachel eyed the teenager for his inappropriate comment.

"You are a trip. And your mother is outside. Think about glee club _seriously_ and I'll see you next time." Bryce went home and Rachel put up the sheet music and art supplies from Ellie. She heard her phone ring in the bedroom and ran to get it. She was surprised to see Hannah calling.

"Hey Hannah Banana." Rachel answered.

"That's lame, first off. And secondly, you sound pretty chipper Rach. Is Noah making you that happy?"

"Noah is actually doing a pretty great job, which is no surprise. Your brother is an awesome man."

"Yeah, we'll see how awesome he is when he hears this. Are you with him?"

"No, what's wrong?" Rachel was thinking the worst. Had Peter really hurt Rebecca like Puck had been expecting?

"Peter just asked me if he could marry mom. And he's planning on asking Noah too. Of course I said yes but—"

"Oh God." Was all Rachel could say.

"Seriously. Peter thinks Noah is an angel. Mom has been laying on all the good stories about him so Peter doesn't really know how shitty Noah really is—or at least used to be. So… I'm thinking Peter thinks the whole asking Noah thing will go over as smooth as dinner went in January. That was dinner, this is—"

"Marriage. Okay, I've got a plan." Rachel hoped it would work.

Rachel would have Rebecca, Peter, and Hannah come up for the weekend. The three of them could stay at Rachel's apartment while she and Eli stayed with Puck. The weekend would give Puck and Peter more time to get to know each other, so Puck wouldn't be so off-guard when Peter asked for his mother's hand in marriage. And besides, Rachel would love to see the proposal in person. She wondered if Peter would up the ante and propose it that weekend.

"Are we talking about the same Noah here? He's not going to like Rebecca Puckerman coming to town for an entire weekend, especially without like a month's notice." Hannah said. She knew her brother well. Rachel knew him a bit more though.

"Well, relationships are about compromise Hannah. He'll understand." Meaning Rachel would make him understand after a few rounds of sex.

"Gross Rachel. I can understand innuendo. I'm not an idiot like Noah." The teenager sounded insulted. Rachel knew to end the conversation quickly then. She was relieved that Eli wasn't at the age where she had to explain anything about sex. She'd leave the responsibility to his father even if Puck's track record wasn't the cleanest.

Before she and Hannah ended their call, Rachel told Hannah to get Peter up to speed. It was easy to get the rest of plan in motion. Rachel called Rebecca and explained how she would be free all week and would love for Rebecca, Hannah, and Peter to come visit. That was the easiest part. The hardest part would be getting Puck to agree to it, even though it was a done deal. She would leave out the part about Peter's announcement, but she still knew he'd be a hassle.

She spent an hour or so getting her things ready for Puck's that night and tidying the apartment some. When she was about to leave, she called Puck to make sure they were at the house. They weren't.

"Noah, is that a dog in the background?" Puck just told her that they were over at Finn's house, but Finn didn't have a dog.

"Yeah, Eli's trying to name Hudson's new best friend. Where the hell does Eli get these names from?"

"Finn has a dog now? What if Eli gets attached and wants a dog too? I can't have any pets in my apartment. I can't _afford_ to even take care of a pet, nor do either of us have time!"

"Chill out babe. Eli and Finn have some sort of agreement, so I guess it's kinda like Eli's dog too. And before you flip out, the chick at the pet store said that dogs teach kids responsibility and compassion to other beings, or some shit like that. So it'll be a learning experience for Eli." Rachel rolled her eyes, but didn't worry about it. The dog situation would be up for Puck to handle, not her.

"Well, just give me a call when you guys get back to your place. I'll be ho—"

"Look at your keyring." Puck interrupted. Rachel noticed that the background was quieter, so he must have stepped into another room. She picked up her keys and noticed an extra key on there (and it did occur to her that she'd been handling her keys all day and never realized).

"A key—to your house?" Of course, she knew it was a key to his house but she had to make sure.

"Yeah. And it's not a big deal or anything, I just—"

"Thank you Noah. This will be useful on dog nights, I see." Rachel kept the mood light, even though the key was such an important gesture.

"Exactly. So yeah, you can head on over there. Make dinner for a hungry man and a hungry toddler if you'd like. Hm… and you may wanna run Eli a bath. Kid's a mess." Puck laughed at Rachel's responding growl. Sure Eli was a boy, but Rachel knew that sometimes Puck got him dirty just to annoy her.

"Well I had homemade pizza in mind and Eli could help, so hurry home." Rachel said. The words rolled so easy off her tongue, as if she and Puck were already living together.

"Love the sound of that babe. See you soon."

Puck and Eli came bounding through the door not long after Rachel arrived. Eli ran straight into her arms, smelling like a wet dog.

"Hi mommy! Uncle Finn has a dog! I named him Patrick!" Rachel had to smile at his enthusiasm, even though she was holding him far away from her nose. Puck laughed.

"Come on kid, your mom looks like she's gonna blow chunks if she has to smell you like that any longer." Puck gave Rachel a peck and carried Eli to the bathroom. Soon, the clean toddler ran back into the kitchen, ready to help with dinner.

"Is daddy taking a shower now?" Rachel asked. Eli nodded. She let Eli help her with the first pizza—half veggie for her and the other half was whatever Eli decided he'd like. She'd fix Puck's pizza when he got out the shower.

"So, I was thinking we'd go out of town this weekend. You know what's only three hours from here? Pittsburgh. It'd be kinda fun and—"

"No."

"You didn't even let me finish Rach." Puck even looked a little upset.

"I'm sorry Noah, but we're not going anywhere. One, because you spent entirely too much for Valentine's Day and two, your mom is coming to town." Rachel winced, waiting for the complaints to start. She didn't have to wait two seconds.

"WHAT? Oh HELL no, that's not going down." Rachel watched him throw toppings sloppily over his pizza, not even paying attention because he was so irritated.

"Noah, it's honestly ridiculous that you're so upset. Your mom has Peter to pay attention to—she hasn't even been in your hair as much as she used to."

"Fuc—freak. So he's coming too? And are all three of them supposed to fit into my apartment because I just can't—" Rachel hugged him from behind and kissed the center of his back.

"Your son is looking at you like you're insane." Rachel turned him around so that he'd face her. "Rebecca, Peter, and Hannah will stay at my apartment. I'll be here full time from Friday until Sunday."

"My mom will go through your stuff."

"There is no _stuff_ to go through Noah." Rachel bumped him out of the way with her hip and tried to even out his pizza some.

"Oh yeah? What about your t-o-y in the top drawer of your nightstand?" Puck pressed Rachel into the counter, saying the words in her ear.

"Hm, that little thing? I guess it should probably come here with me. Maybe you can find a use for it?"

"You're badass babe. Never knew that screwing you after Santana's party a few years ago would have you in my kitchen talking about me using your vibrator on you." Rachel elbowed her boyfriend.

"Don't say things like that in front of your son!"

"Don't tempt me then Berry."

* * *

**So... this is the last chapter I have prewritten. Any ideas you guys wanna throw at me? Leave a review! I do have a few things in the works... we'll see!**


	11. Chapter 11

"So, you mean you're working this whole week? That's lame Rachel. It's your Spring Break." Santana fussed. Rachel was finally on her way to Puck's apartment after a long day. She worked all day at the coffee shop and went straight to her Tuesday night dance class afterward.

"It's certainly not the most exciting Spring Break option, but I have all this free time to do something productive and I—"

"Productive and Spring Break don't even belong in the same sentence. Me and Britt and a couple of friends are going to Cancun next week. That's a proper Spring Break Rachel."

"Nevertheless, I'm enjoying my break from classes. Working at the coffee shop is a breeze and I get to come home to my two favorite guys. Life's good in Ohio." Santana scoffed.

"Oh yeah, a housewife's dream. And I hear you're hosting the in-laws at your place this weekend. What are you gonna do about the vibrator?"

"Is my vibrator the only thing that you and Noah worry about? Trust me, I'm fully capable of proofing my house. I have a toddler, and the same things that shouldn't get into his hands are the same things I need to hide from in-laws… I mean Rebecca and Hannah."

"They'll be your in-laws soon, so you should go ahead and stop correcting yourself."  
"Do you know something?" the anxiousness spilled out of Rachel without her permission. Santana snickered on the other end.

"God Berry, don't tell me you have wedding fever? You're not like dropping hints about getting engaged or anything, right. That's lame."

"No Santana, of course not. I haven't even graduated, I still don't know what I'm doing for a career that will be beneficial to Eli and me, and marriage—really?" Rachel meant everything she said, but the thought of Rebecca's upcoming engagement had her fantasizing about getting engaged, and even further: her perfect wedding.

"Whatever. I just know that when the wedding bells do ring for you and Puckerman, I best be the maid of honor and I'm going to throw the most kickass bachelorette party ever."

"That thought honestly scares me Santana. Thank God I'll have years to prepare for it."

"Please. I'd say a year max. Puckerman is head-up-his-ass, stupidly, intensely, psychotically in love with you."  
"Are you sure you don't know anything?"

"Fuck. I just told you I don't know anything! But I do know Puck. And I think you're it for him. I don't know when it's coming or anything—he wouldn't tell me that anyway. But I know it's coming and you better not freak out and come up with a contract or anything this time."

"I've got to go Santana. Noah's waiting for me at the door." Rachel didn't realize that she'd been sitting in the driveway that long on the phone. They said their goodbyes until next week, not without Santana planting seeds in Rachel's mind.

"Lopez going on about her latest sexual conquest?" Puck embraced Rachel and kissed her forehead.

"As usual." Rachel lied. She didn't want to bring up marriage or anything remotely close to it. He took her bag and followed her inside the house. Eli was sitting on the floor playing with his blocks and watching a Baby Einstein DVD. Rachel noticed Puck had his laptop out and papers all over the couch.

"Got work to catch up on?" Rachel asked Puck. She sat on the floor next to Eli and kissed his cheek. "Hey sweetie, how was your day?"

"Hi mommy!" Eli exclaimed. He gave Rachel a quick hug then went back to playing. Rachel saw that he was focused, so she'd play with him later.

"Is it the project that Mr. Daniels has you working on?" Rachel asked Puck. He was taking up most of the couch with his papers, but Puck moved his laptop and pulled Rachel down into his lap.

"Yes. It's just a lot of work involved. Me, Vic, and Alan just wanna have our shit together, so we've been working on it after hours."

"Do you want Eli and me to head to my place? You could use the concentration." Puck glared at Rachel.

"Hell no. Both of you are staying right here. Besides, I know how hot it gets you to see me hard at work."

"I can't deny it. It is quite the turn on Puckerman. I'll be in the shower."

"Thinking about this badass architect?" Rachel grinned and winked.

While she was in the shower, she let her mind wander back to her conversation with Santana. Being married within a _year_? Rachel's main concern about getting back with Puck was their tendency to move so fast. She nearly had a panic attack when he presented her with those blueprints the last time.

But now… something was different. Staying with Puck for the last few days between the both of their residences was something she was getting used to. Cuddling close to him at night, waking up next to him in the morning—Rachel loved these experiences. What a difference a year made.

"Yo babe, Alex has called you like five times. Want me to text Vic and see what's up?" Puck popped his head into the shower, startling Rachel. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the bathroom door open.

"No, I'll return her calls as soon as I get out."

"I'll leave your phone on the counter." Puck said and went back out the bathroom. Rachel knew he must have been super stressed work because he didn't even make a crude remark about her being naked in the shower. She quickly washed her hair and jumped out to return Alex's call.

"Thank God! Please tell me you're free tonight!" Alex answered.

"Hey Alex. What's wrong?"

"To make a long story short, I need a partner in crime tonight. My friend's dating this guy in this really terrible cover band. I promised I'd come see their next show—but I cannot go through this alone. Pleeeease Rachel. I'll pick you up, buy all your drinks—whatever you need. Just come with me!" Alex begged.

"What time are you thinking? I'd at least want to put Eli to bed tonight since Noah's hard at work."

"God, him too? Vic hasn't taken his eyes off his laptop for the past 3 hours. The show doesn't start until 10. I'll be to your apartment at 9:45 ish."

"I'm at Noah's house tonight, but that sounds good. I'll text you the address."

"Rach, you're a lifesaver. I've got you tonight and I still owe you big time!"

"I'm a performer Alex, so my tolerance for terrible performances is low." Rachel joked. Alex laughed.

"So the both of us will get drunk cause that's the only way we'll survive the show." Alex said and hung up.

Rachel quickly blow-dried her hair, wondering if she had anything casual enough for a bar (where she assumed this event would take place). Even though it was sudden, Rachel was thrilled to be having a girls' night out. She and Alex had gone to a movie together a couple days after the charity dinner, but they hadn't done anything since then. Rachel threw on a tank top and a pair of her sleep shorts and then went to see what her guys were up to.

"Smell your shampoo all the way over here." Puck mumbled from his laptop.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing? And have you guys eaten yet? Alex begged me to go out with her tonight so I want to make sure you guys are set before I leave." Rachel wondered what his reaction would be. He sat his laptop on the chair and looked at her.

"Crap. Eli and I shared a sandwich a couple hours ago so he's probably hungry. I've been so focused that I completely forgot." Rachel kissed his cheek before she went into the kitchen.

"It's okay. I can put something together quickly. Anything you're particularly in the mood for?" Rachel called to him, looking through his cabinets.

"I'll order Chinese. You deserve a night off from us." Puck admitted, scrolling through the phone for their favorite Chinese restaurant. In the meantime, Rachel bathed Eli and had some one-on-one time with him.

"Bubbie Becca and Aunt Hannah are coming this weekend. Are you excited?" Reminding Eli made Rachel think of all she had to do to prepare. She still needed to Puckerman-proof her apartment, as well as stock her fridge and cabinets. She also needed to allot time for Peter and Puck to be alone so that Peter could ask for Rebecca's hand in marriage. Tentative upon that happening successfully, the four of them (Rachel, Puck, Peter, and Hannah) had to create the perfect atmosphere for the proposal. It exhausted Rachel just to think about it.

Eli made sure she didn't have too much time to dwell on it because he started to splash around, getting Rachel and the bathroom floor wet. She quickly finished bathing him and got him dressed for bed. They emerged out the bathroom just as Puck was paying for the delivery. He fixed Eli a small plate and handed Rachel her box.

"So, where are you ladies heading tonight?" Puck asked. Rachel explained all that she knew about the outing. She was standing in the kitchen, using chopsticks to eat out her box.

"When's the last time you've actually had a girls night out? I don't remember this ever happening while we were together. Well, unless you count baby shopping with Kurt."

"Well, I've been out with Santana and Brittany a few times since we haven't been together. The last time was at the beginning of Winter Break." Rachel said lightly. She hadn't gotten around to telling him the story behind that night yet.

"I want you to have fun tonight Rach. I'm glad you and Alex clicked or whatever it is you girls call it. Yeah we've got a kid and yeah we have responsibility, but both of us need to let loose every once in a while." Rachel grinned at Puck.

"I'm so glad that my better half is incredibly wise."

"Okay _grandma_. Seriously, who calls their boyfriend 'better half' these days?" Puck teased.

"Boyfriend is almost too juvenile. Sounds like we're in grade school." Rachel countered.

"I'll just call you my woman then." Puck joked, laughing at his own joke. Rachel ignored him and helped Eli clean up his mess. Luckily, as soon as she got him settled in his room, Eli went straight to sleep. She assumed he hadn't taken a proper nap at daycare and was thankful for it. Now that Eli was down and Puck was back to work, Rachel could take her time and get ready in peace. Alex showed up right on time and came inside to give Puck some documents from Victor.

"God, everyone must have always been jealous of you in high school Rach. You look flawless every time I see you!" Alex exclaimed. Puck started laughing hysterically and Rachel whacked him before he could crack on her high school attire.

"I kind of grew into my own style through college. It's been a work in progress for the past couple of years." Rachel said, looking down at her outfit. She had on a pair of jeans, matched with cute booties, and a blazer over her tank top. She leaned down to kiss Puck.

"I'm getting ready to crash now but if you need me, call me Rachel. I'm serious."

"Okay, _grandpa_. But the same goes for you. See you later." Rachel said and closed the door behind her.

"The Black Shark? How come I've missed out on this fine establishment after all these years?" Rachel joked. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Smart ass. I knew you couldn't be so wholesome. And that's perfect because tomorrow looks like a day to call out for me. What about you?"

"I'll have a drink or two. I'm a mom now, I can't be coming back home drunk. That's tacky." Rachel looked around at her surroundings. Honestly, the bar was tacky. She couldn't even imagine what kind of show the band would perform. But she was glad to be out with a friend.

Alex led them to the bar and ordered them two beers. Rachel's eyes widened when Alex told the bartender to keep her tab open. Alex smiled widely at Rachel.

"I know you have your mommy reputation, but I'm giving you an out for the night if you want it. You don't have to get blasted, but it's your last spring break so you should live it up some. Just a little Rachel." Alex sounded so sincere that Rachel couldn't even second guess the nodding reply she gave.

"Fine! But you have to drive us back. How much do you weigh? I have this app on my phone that allows me to calculate your blood alcohol concentration." Rachel said seriously. She was a little worried that Alex would think she was a moodkiller. Secretly, Rachel's worry went as far down as to think that maybe she wasn't even "cool" enough to hang out with her. Alex was tall and gorgeous, and had so many friends. Rachel took a long sip of her beer and tried to snap herself out of that insta-funk.

"I have the same app girl!" Alex said, putting Rachel at ease. "Here comes my friend Morgan. I love her to death, but this guy is no good for her."

"Trey and the guys are unloading backstage. Aren't you so excited to see them perform in person?" Morgan asked excitedly.

"Hey Morgan, I'm great. This is my friend Rachel. I brought her with me because I hate Trey and his band sucks. But I came to be a supportive friend for you." Alex said bluntly. Rachel waved politely.

"Can't you just suck up your 'I hate Trey' thing that we go through every time we see each other? He only cheated _twice_. I don't want to be mad at you tonight." Morgan turned to the bar and ordered 10 shots of tequila. Alex nudged Rachel.

"The guys always open up with tequila before the show. Trey gets 3 shots. Mike, Brian, and Ray get 2 shots. And I get one! So I'll be backstage with them. You guys can come back once the show starts."

"Oh, are you their manager?" Rachel asked. She felt impolite for not making conversation, but she could tell that Morgan was someone who only talked about herself and the band.

"No, I'm just their number one fan! See you guys afterward!" Morgan carried the shots on a tray and walked away. Alex turned to Rachel.

"I love Morgan but she's hard to be around alone. I knew she'd ditch me like this anyway, so I'm glad that I have at least _one_ friend I rely on. Finish your beer, I definitely need something a little stronger to get through this night." Alex waved the bartender over.

"So, what are you? A fruity, mixed drink girl?" Alex asked. Rachel smirked. People would assume that about her.

"Actually, I'm a pretty diverse drinker. I may be in a sex on the beach mood at times but I can also be a Jack and coke when I need to be."

"Well excuse me! You're so unexpected—you're pretty much my current girl crush." Alex wasted no time and ordered two Jack and cokes for them. Rachel had gotten accustomed to the taste of Jack Daniels since it was Puck's favorite liquor, but the minute she took a sip, she realized that it'd been a while since she had hard liquor.

"We probably only have 5 minutes to enjoy ourselves before Trey's shitty band starts. Let's go out on the dance floor."

"As long as we head to the front. If I had to come out to see a bad show I at least want to see it up close so I can properly critique." Rachel said seriously.

As the music thumped around them, Rachel and Alex sipped their drinks and surveyed the crowd. Rachel could already feel her inhibitions slowly easing. She just hoped she wouldn't allow the alcohol to embarrass her.

"Those guys are checking us out. The terrible thing about it is that they're actually cute. Shit, they're coming over. I have a terrible flirting problem. Save me if I go too far." Alex said, flashing a smile at the approaching gentlemen. The two guys stopped in front of them and Rachel had to admit, they were gorgeous.

"I was trying to think of something awesome to say, but I'm coming up short." The taller, blond guy said to Rachel. She felt a little excited about being approached. It usually never happened.

"Normally people start with their names. I'll give you an example. I'm Rachel and this is my friend Alex."

"What my inexperienced, no game having friend Hank is trying to say is that you two are beautiful and we'd love to refill your drink when you're done. By the way, I'm Walt. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Trust, the pleasure is all ours." Alex said. Rachel had to do a double take after hearing Alex's flirty voice. Alex batted her eyes at Walt, giving an innocent smile. Rachel couldn't wait to tease her about it.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but Walt and I come here often. This doesn't look like your type of hangout." Hank said. Rachel noticed that Walt had eased Alex a few steps away, probably to give Hank some space to work his game. Rachel, of course, wasn't planning on falling for any of it, but she wouldn't outright reject him either.

"Well, what type of place do you see me going to?"

"You just seem too… clean for this place. Like this isn't your scene."

"I mean, besides the name, once you get over the grunginess of the place, it resembles a common bar. Perhaps I seem out of place because I don't frequent the bar scene very often."

"Whoa, English major?"

"Actually, theatre."

"That makes sense. You probably intimidate guys with the way you talk." Rachel thought it would be a perfect time to introduce Noah into the conversation.

"If I get too complicated, my boyfriend will tell me to translate." Rachel said, taking a long sip of her drink. Hank's face showed a quick flash of disappointment, but he recovered quickly.

"I knew you'd be taken. At least let me get you that drink." Hank said. Rachel looked around for Alex and saw she was already at the bar with Walt. Rachel got another drink and she and Alex made small talk with the guys until the show started. From that point, Rachel was in a state of slight intoxication mixed with horror and disbelief. Trey's band was… unsettling. She'd never seen such a show of unprofessionalism in any performance. Most of the band was clearly intoxicated (they were drinking shots on stage—in the middle of a performance) and Trey's voice wasn't all that amazing. He forgot a couple of words and inserted expletives in their place. No wonder they were performing at the Black Shark. But perhaps the most disturbing part of it all was that Trey was blatantly flirting with women in the crowd from the stage, knowing that his girlfriend was backstage watching the entire thing.

"Your face says it all." Alex commented. Rachel blinked a few times, trying to make sense of it all. "I told you they sucked. That was my first and last time ever."

Morgan bounded over to them, looking a little drunk herself. She grinned at Rachel and Alex.

"Wasn't that just great? I thought they did really well tonight. Hey Trey! Over here!" Morgan waved Trey over. Alex nudged Rachel and she was almost afraid to wonder what would happen next.

"Bout time you came out to see a show Al. Fucking sexy up there, wasn't I?" Trey asked. Alex ignored him as she typed out something on her phone.

"And who's the hot chick? Damn babe you're tiny. I could totally break you… in more ways than one." Rachel could tell why Alex didn't like him. The guy was a pig, to say the least.

"I may be small, but trust me, I can hold my weight. Especially on a stage. That's where you're lacking. I wasn't impressed." Rachel snapped. Morgan looked more upset at Rachel for insulting the band than she did at Trey for openly flirting with her.

"Babe, tell that bitch how fucking awesome we are. The crowd was eating it all up. What fucking show were you looking at?" Trey stepped to Rachel and asked. Now Rachel could see how Puck got into so much trouble over the years after drinking Jack Daniels. She was a second away from initiating a barfight.

"Trey, you're such a dick. Your show sucked ass, as I expected. Do me a favor and go fuck yourself. Morgan, if you ever ask me to come to see this pathetic shit again our friendship will be hanging on by a thread. C'mon Rach." Alex said, practically dragging Rachel out the bar. Rachel was thankful for the fresh air because it immediately cleared her mind.

"How does she date him?" was the first thing Rachel could blurt out.

"He treats her so bad and the terrible thing about it is that she knows and still won't leave his pathetic ass. Being around them made me miss Vic. I can't wait to get back home to him. Hopefully he and Puck are finished with work. I know your guy will be happy to have you back in his arms tonight. He looked a little on edge about you going out."

"I don't go out that often. I apparently stuck out like a sore thumb."

"You've got a kid so of course you don't go out that much. Trust me, you're not missing anything special. Just make sure you have a life though. Anytime you feel overwhelmed and wanna get out for a while, you know you can call me! I wanna see you get trashed anyway. I bet that would be a sight to see."

"I become completely inappropriate. The first time I got drunk I forced myself onto Noah. My drunken escapades have only gotten more inappropriate."

"Yeah, what was this in like the 2nd grade? You guys have been together for the longest. I can't wait to hear about the engagement story, because I know it's coming."

Rachel was beginning to think that all these wedding questions and situations was a sign for her. First Rebecca's proposal, then Santana and Alex making comments about Rachel and Puck were getting married. What would be next—Finn calling to ask for her favorite jewelry store?

It was the second time that day Rachel was walking back into Puck's house with a wedding on her mind. She dropped her purse on the couch and heard a grunt in response. She flipped on the light and saw Puck laying on the couch, his face under her purse.

"Noah, why aren't you sleeping in the bed? You didn't have to wait up for me!" Rachel exclaimed, moving her purse to the counter. Puck got up and stretched.

"I tried. Couldn't sleep without you. I'm getting too used to you in bed with me." He flipped off the light and pulled Rachel into the bedroom. While Puck dove face down into the covers, Rachel changed and went to brush her teeth before bed. Puck's statement stirred something in her. She got into bed and snuggled next to him.

"Mmm. This is how it always needs to be. No jumping from house to house." Puck mumbled. Rachel could tell he was sleep-talking.

"I couldn't agree more." Rachel said honestly. She felt Puck smile against her skin.

* * *

**Eh, so not my favorite chapter. Excuse the fact that the whole bar scene is uncoordinated and weird. I tweaked and toyed with it... and that's the best I got. The Puckermans come to town soon, so at least be excited about that. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**So I'm prepping for graduation (15 days!) and I've been a slacker at this. Here's a big ole chapter for your patience!**

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Rachel was beginning to think the plan was a bust and the Puckermans hadn't even come in town yet. She came straight from work on Thursday night to wash her clothes and pack her and Eli's things for the weekend. She and Hannah had a bit of a plan forming, but Puck was adamant about watching the game with Finn the next day. They even had a mini-argument about it on their ways home from work.

"Rach, I had a long week. You saw that. Why the hell would I want to sit and make small talk with Peter?" Rachel's plan was that Peter, Puck, and Eli would hang out over at Puck's house on Friday and that Rebecca and Hannah would be at her apartment. It would give Peter the perfect opportunity to request for Puck's approval and give them some bonding time.

"Honey, I understand. But I want to do a girls night with your mom and sister and what's poor Peter going to do all alone?"

"That's not my problem." Puck said.

"Noah, it's absolutely ridiculous how you're acting. Not once have I heard you offer to extend an invitation to even allow Peter to watch this oh so important game with you. Can't you and Finn talk about it over the phone instead of him coming over? I just don't understand the big deal when you have family coming in."

"First off, the _family_ I have coming in will be with you. Secondly, I'm not calling Finn to chat about the game over the phone. That's gay. Thirdly—"

"That's _gay_? And what exactly is that supposed to mean Noah? I think it is completely disrespectful to use that terminology when you know—"

"Rachel, I'm not getting into this with you. I don't understand the big fucking deal about watching one game with my best friend. I'm not fucking spending any bonding time with Peter. I'll see you later." And he hung up.

Rachel could tell he was mad and she knew some of it stemmed from Puck's disdain for his own father. He was probably thinking that Peter would break Rebecca's heart like his father did. Rachel couldn't tell the future, but Peter seemed like a sweet man and genuinely in love with Rebecca. Furthermore, Rachel had already told Peter that the "plan" was a go—he'd spend time with Puck on Friday and propose to Rebecca on Saturday. Rachel had already made reservations at a very nice restaurant downtown and prompted Peter on romantic and private locations where he could quickly kneel down and seal the deal. Hannah would be staying at Puck's house with them so that Peter and Rebecca could celebrate through the night (Hannah was pissed that Rachel actually said that aloud to her). Then on Sunday, they'd all have brunch before they got back on the road to Lima.

The plan would have been perfect, but Puck was really messing up the flow. She had to find a way to convince him without using her body (he was rude during their argument earlier, so he didn't deserve sex from her anyway) and without spilling the beans about the real plan in motion. But Puck was just as stubborn as she could be at times, and if he was that mad about Peter just now he definitely wasn't changing his mind. Her best bet was to leave Puck no choice but to spend time with Peter on Friday. That meant she had to get Finn out the picture.

Knowing Finn well, she couldn't just directly tell him what was going on. Somehow or another, Finn would definitely warn Puck. And he wouldn't take Rachel just telling him to find something else to do on Friday night. Whatever distraction she came up with, she couldn't even execute it herself. The first thing Finn would tell Puck would be "Rachel told/did/made… " She had to call in some backup.

"Knitting in preparation for your mother-in-law?" Santana answered. Rachel rolled her eyes and plopped on the couch.

"So, I didn't tell you the whole story about Rebecca coming into town." Of course she didn't! Santana, although she would never admit it, was just as talkative as Rachel. Sometimes Santana wouldn't even realize she said too much.

"I talked to Puck a little while ago. He's pissed about you wanting him to spend time with Rebecca's man. He has no idea you have something up your sleeve though like I do. What's going on? Is it something pathetic like the guy asking Puck if he could marry Rebecca? That would be hilarrrrrious." Santana said, laughing at her own comment.

"Well, you hit it right on the head. Peter wants to propose Saturday."

"Shut up Berry. Get the fuck out of here! God damn, I'm good! I thought _you_ were supposed to be the psychic one."

"Santana do you really think it's a bad idea?"

"For that man to be—"

"His name is Peter." Rachel interrupted.

"Peter, geez. You must have a hard on for him too. Anyway, for Peter to be alone with Puck asking to marry Rebecca? Puck has daddy issues. Unless you can work some of your psychobabble on him, I don't think he's going to react well to this."

"How bad you think it'll be Santana?" This whole plan seemed like more and more of a bad idea each minute.

"Not horrible. But it won't be easy for Peter either. Maybe it'll do Puck some good. Maybe he'll kill the poor man. Who knows?"

"Your insight is so helpful." Rachel said sarcastically.

"I mean, why involve Puck anyway? So he gets pissy because his mom gets engaged. Why the fuck do we care?"

"Because I think it would be ten times worse if he doesn't know before. I mean, maybe this would be a chance for Puck to talk man to man with someone who truly cares about his mother."

"Alright, so what's the problem besides Puck potentially breaking everything in his sight when he hears Peter's little speech?"

"The fact that he's refusing to do it in the first place! Didn't you _just_ talk to him?"

"Cut the attitude and dramatics Berry. It's not my fault I don't understand this retarded story. I'm in California, not Columbus." Santana snapped. Rachel took a deep breath. She was already getting too riled up over the situation.

"I apologize. Noah's refusing to meet with Peter because he has to watch a game with Finn. My plan is to distract Finn with something else so that Noah will have no choice but to meet with Peter. I can't even mention this to Finn because well—_it's Finn_—and he'll go right back to Puck with anything I tell him."

"And you need my expertise. Well, the only thing a man will probably overlook sports for is sex. Do you have any—no you don't have any friends. Uh..."

"Too bad you weren't here." Rachel mumbled.

"I almost resent that. Mostly I don't though because it's a nod to me being a sex goddess. There's a few Cheerios that now go to OSU. Let me see if I can work something out. What's in this for me?"

"Aren't we good enough friends to do favors without rewards?"

"I don't work for free. This is worthy of an IOU. I'll cash it in at the appropriate time. Call you back when I'm finished." Santana said and hung up. Rachel could breathe a little easier. Santana and the Cheerios were almost like a sorority, with Santana being the mean, demanding pledge sister. Whatever she wanted got done by someone.

She put another load in the washer and went into her bedroom to change the sheets. It was a little unsettling to think that Rebecca and Peter would be consummating their engagement in her bed. She made sure she left another pair of sheets in plain sight. Rachel went to her nightstand drawer to get the vibrator out before she forgot.

About an hour later, her phone rang from the kitchen. She was in her bathroom scrubbing out her (already clean) bathtub. She pulled off her gloves and ran to catch it before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?" She didn't even look at the name.

"Finn officially has a hot date with Brandi McIntosh. Am I good or am I good?" Santana said proudly.

"That's excellent Santana. Thanks so much."

"No prob. You just owe me and I plan to cash that in at the opportunity to embarrass you the most. Got an exam tomorrow, deuces." Santana said and hung up.

Rachel thought the Peter/Puck issue was handled until she got over to his house that night. She'd finally finished prepping her apartment and made it over just in time to eat dinner with her guys. Puck mumbled a "hey" to her when she walked in, but Eli jumped from the table and ran over to her. At least she got a warm greeting from one of them. She didn't know what kind of battle she'd be having with Puck that night so seeing Eli softened her up.

"Daddy made chicken nuggets for you. I know you're enjoying that! Finish dinner sweetie and we'll play." Rachel said. She sent a warm smile over to Puck, but his face was unmoving. She couldn't understand why he was still so upset about earlier. If anyone should have been mad, it was her!

"Finish up dinner. I'll be right back." Rachel heard Puck say. She was in Eli's room, unpacking some of his toys and clothes, and heard his footsteps approaching. He walked into the room and leaned against the doorframe.

"I'm not sure why you're treating me like this Noah. It's a bit immature." Rachel said, continuing to unpack.

"What's the big deal with this Peter thing that you got Finn out of it?" Rachel was thankful her back was turned. She didn't expect him to say that. She didn't know if he knew for sure or was just speculating. She put on her best annoyed/confused face and whipped around to face him.

"Noah, you're really besides yourself today. I don't know if you had a bad day at work or what, but you've been attacking me the entire day. Should I just go back home tonight?" She wondered if he realized she never addressed his accusations. At least she wasn't lying.

"There's a salad for you in the fridge. I'm going to take a shower." Puck walked away and closed his bedroom door behind him.

As Rachel ate dinner with Eli, the guilt was gnawing at her. It was obvious that being alone with Peter was really making Puck unravel. Instead of being honest and upfront with him, she kept tweaking the plan to make it work. Hopefully it would all be worth it. What if Rebecca didn't even say yes? The thought made Rachel's stomach knot up.

Puck never came out the room for the rest of the night. Rachel could hear the television in his bedroom playing. She figured she'd spend time with Eli and let Puck simmer down. Hopefully he'd be easy to talk to once Eli was fast asleep. When the moment came, Rachel was almost nervous to walk in the room. She truly didn't want to have any more arguments with him that night.

"I'm going to take a shower." She announced.

"Kay." Puck didn't take his eyes off the TV to even look at her. It made Rachel feel crummy. She took a quick shower and resolved to drop some kind of hint that would alert Puck to the magnitude of the situation. She wanted him to know that she just wasn't trying to force Puck to hang out with Peter, it was actually for something serious. She used his favorite body wash of hers (she said she wouldn't convince him with her body, but it didn't mean she couldn't seduce his senses) and slipped on a nightie (that wasn't made to be sexy, but it showed enough skin that it was). And when she walked out of the bathroom, Puck was nowhere to be found. She walked out into the living room and saw him in his pantry, talking on the phone.

"Yeah, we meet there. But I can't stay—I'm in my pantry man. I think my son ate all the Doritos! No, she's busy tomorrow. My mom and sister are coming in, I told you that. They've got some type of girls' night or some shit." Rachel wasn't really eavesdropping because she was totally in plain sight. She figured he was either talking to Victor or Alan.

"Yeah they're close. Shut up man. I mean the potential's there if we don't kill each other over this weekend. Alright. Later dude." Puck hung up and pushed around bags of chips in his pantry. He finally retrieved what he wanted and stepped out. She could have sworn he jumped when he saw her standing there.

"Are you still mad?" Rachel asked softly.

"No. Since Finn has a date now, I'm gonna meet Vic over at the bar. I'll watch the game there." Puck said with a grin. It was his defiant grin, not his sex grin. She saw that particular grin in Eli at times. He didn't know exactly what Rachel had planned, but Puck had to know that he was really messing things up. He tried to walk past her and Rachel grabbed his arm.

"You're infuriating Noah Puckerman. Can you give me one solid reason why you're being so difficult about spending time with Peter?"

"I can give you three. I don't like him. I don't know him. And I have plans." Puck began to walk around her but Rachel stood in his way. She narrowed her eyes at him to know she meant business.

"I know that you feel that no man is good enough for your mom. You think that every man will hurt her like your father did. But Pet—"

"You don't know a thing about the guy Rachel. You met him once. And don't come in my face trying to psychoanalyze me. I didn't know that you being a theater major gave you license to tell me what the hell I think." Puck snapped. She repeatedly told herself not to take his words personally because he was mad, but those words really hurt. Puck sat the bag of chips down and pulled her into his arms. She was already crying a steady flow of tears.

"Rachel, babe. Please stop crying. I'm being too—"

"Rude? Mean? Harsh? Noah this is stressing me out! You have no idea how much you working against me on this is—" Rachel cried harder, making the rest of her words unintelligible. Puck let her get all her crying done, then he lead her to the couch and sat with her.

"What's going on Rachel? There's more to this and you're not letting me know." Puck said matter-of-factly. Rachel could tell he was holding himself on a short leash, probably so she wouldn't start crying again.

"Peter has got to be your mom's most serious relationship since your dad left. You have to admit it. The man is great with your mother and your sister adores him just as much." Rachel said, wiping her last tears from her eyes. Puck looked at her blankly, waiting for the rest.

"Noah, I want you to admit that." Rachel said. Noah balled up his fists then released.

"He seems like a good guy—sure. But my dad was the greatest man on earth to me, and we know how that turned out."

"True. But besides that dinner in January, you don't know that much about Peter. You guys got along great then. Try to really get to know him more this weekend, that's all I ask. Rebecca's absolutely smitten with him Noah. And your mom, with all she's done for you, Hannah, and even me over the years—she deserves all the happiness she can get." Silence hung in the air. Rachel would try to hold out for his response before she spoke again.

"How long do I have to be alone with him?" Puck said sourly. Rachel grinned and leaped onto his lap. Puck caught her in his arms, rubbing his hands all over Rachel's exposed skin. She wrapped her arms around him and Puck inhaled at the side of her neck. Rachel knew her secret weapons would come in handy one way or another.

"I love you Noah. I knew you'd come around!" Rachel squealed.

"I never said I was gonna bullshit like I did at dinner that time. If I do this, it's gonna be man-to-man. And I'm not giving any reports back about how things went."

"Will you at least give me a hint as to how things went?" Rachel asked. Puck rolled his eyes.

"I'll give you a hint babe. And… ugh I'm sorry about earlier. I was a dick." Puck said. Rachel smiled at him.

"I forgive you. I know I've been a little intense about this Peter thing, but I'm glad you made the right decision." She gave him a peck on the lips, which Puck easily turned into a full-blown makeout session. When Puck pulled off her nightie in one motion, she resolved that having sex with him was fully tolerable because she wasn't using her body to convince him anymore. But if Rachel was honest with herself, she would have known that she couldn't resist makeup sex with her man.

She awoke the next morning tangled in the mess of covers with Puck's heavy arm wrapped around her. She couldn't get up if she tried. Puck hated to be woken up before his alarm went off, so Rachel just laid there thinking about the day's agenda. She and Puck would go to work and Eli would go to daycare. She was thinking that once the Puckermans arrived, she'd cook dinner at Puck's house. Then she, Rebecca, and Hannah would go over to her apartment while Puck had guy time with Peter. Rachel knew not to plan after that point because who knew how Peter and Puck's chat would affect the rest of the weekend.

"What are you thinking about?" Puck asked, pulling her even closer towards him. She thought he was still sleeping.

"Nothing important."

"Thinking about how we fucked on the couch last night?"

"Actually, I wasn't. But that's a good thought to move onto. Now I have to make sure out there is clean again."  
"No, you're not cleaning my house too woman. Shit's fine. It's not like the President is coming into town. Just my mom." Puck rolled out of bed and stretched. Rachel admired the physique of the fine man before her.

"You're totally checking me out babe." Puck said with a smirk. "But don't worry, we'll have round two tonight. _And_, we'll use that vibrator."

"Who says I'll be in the mood?" Rachel asked. Puck narrowed his eyes at her and walked towards the bathroom.

"That sounds like a challenge Berry."

Puck's good mood was a complete change from the day before and Rachel was glad. Maybe he needed the reality check from the night before. Something must have sparked something in him, because when Rachel got back to his house that afternoon he was home and dressed casually. Eli ran out of his room waving a DVD at her. Rachel sat her purse on the counter and picked up her son, eying her boyfriend in the kitchen.

"You're not happy to see us home?" Puck asked. Rachel walked over to him and sat Eli on the counter. He was going on and on about his new Backyardigan's DVD.

"Why are you home early?" Rachel asked, kissing Puck.

"I should ask you the same thing! You're not supposed to be home for at least another hour. I came home early to make sure you weren't gonna clean anything up for Batty Becca's visit. And I wanted to season up some meat. I'll grill tonight. That way you won't try to overwork yourself trying to impress people who are already in love with you." Puck said.

"You're amazing Noah." Rachel said, kissing him quickly. She tickled Eli and kissed him on the cheek. She certainly hoped everyone's good mood lasted throughout the weekend. 

"Son, I have to say that your house looks really nice. Tidy. Rachel must be staying over more often." Rebecca teased, winking at Rachel. You could tell Rebecca was still blissfully happy that the two had gotten back together. Rachel wondered why Rebecca hadn't asked about when Rachel would move in.

"This is a really great neighborhood. You guys must not have any problems out here." Peter commented. He and Rebecca were sitting at the kitchen bar. Rachel was standing next to Puck in the kitchen, so she gave him a very subtle nudge.

"Yeah, it's quiet around here. It's boring too. But I guess that's the tradeoff for having a safe place for Eli to play." Puck said. Rachel never knew the reasoning behind his house location. When she first saw it, she was impressed with the quietness of the neighborhood but always thought Noah chose it because of the architecture of the place.

"It's a great time to buy now. You and Rachel should just go ahead and buy a house." Rebecca said.

"Ma—lay off." Puck said seriously. Hannah came through the patio door with a screaming Eli in her arms. Rachel rushed out the kitchen and received her crying son.

"What'd you do Hannah?" Puck asked. Rachel tried to calm Eli by rocking him back and forth.

"I didn't do anything! Eli ran into a tree. I've got to say, he's totally your son. Didn't you say Noah used to do that all the time Ma?"

"You surely did." Rebecca said to Puck. He put down the seasoning and washed his hands so he could tend to Eli. Rachel was doing perfectly fine at calming him down, but as soon as Puck came over and extended his arms, Eli leaned towards his father.

"He's fine. Be careful Eli. Go show Aunt Hannah how play basketball." Puck said to the toddler, setting him down on the ground. Eli broke out into another run and Hannah chased right after him. Rachel was a little annoyed because she didn't give Eli's head a full check. Puck noticed and gave her a peck to distract her.

"Chill out Rach. He's fine." He winked at her and went back into the kitchen. Rebecca watched the scene with wide eyes, as if she had just found a pot of treasure. Even Rachel had to admit that it was a little creepy, but she was happy that Rebecca was so happy with them. Rachel just hoped Rebecca's weekend would get even better. Rachel decided to set the ball in motion.

"So after dinner, we're going to have a girls night over at my apartment. What would you like to do Rebecca?"

"How exciting. This is like a true vacation! Whatever you have in mind sweetie. What's Peter going to do?" Rebecca tapped her companion's leg. Rachel was the only one who caught Puck's look of disgust. She narrowed her eyes at him and waited for his response.

"Oh, we can hang out over here and watch the game." It took Puck an awful long time to say. Rebecca's eyes widened with surprise. She knew that wasn't Puck's idea on his own and Rachel could see the gears working in Rebecca's head. She was trying to figure out what was going on.

"Thanks Noah. That sounds excellent. Which reminds me, I brought some stuff for you, Rachel, and Eli. I'll go grab it from the car." Peter said. As soon as Peter closed the front door behind him, Rebecca started her questions.

"What's going on?" Rebecca asked.

"Aren't you getting serious with the guy? I need to have one chance to grill him out of your presence. I want to be rude, but I can't in front of Rachel. I'm more afraid of her than I am of you." Puck replied. Rebecca looked at Rachel for the real story. The Puckerman's had an uncanny way of extracting the truth from her, no matter how straight her face and voice were.

"How'd you get him to agree to this?" Rebecca asked.

"Easily. There was nowhere else for Peter to go if we were having girls night. Noah is not the barbarian that he makes himself out to be. He did fight me about it, but your son knows how blissfully happy Peter makes you. You guys are obviously so in love. If he makes you that happy, we all need to take out special time to get to know him and thank him. You deserve it Rebecca." Rachel said. Rebecca got up and hugged Rachel, sniffling a little.

"You are the sweetest thing. I cannot wait until Noah officially makes you a daughter of mine." Rebecca whispered and hugged Rachel tighter. "You are the _best_ thing that happened to my son."

Peter walked back into the house and Rachel and Rebecca turned around, both wiping away the tears pricking at their eyes. Peter looked at Puck for an explanation.

"I wasn't gone for more than 2 minutes, at maximum, and both of you are crying?" Peter asked, holding three gift bags.

"Get used to it." Puck mumbled.

"I didn't know you bought them gifts. Peter, I hope you didn't spend too much!" Rebecca exclaimed.

"Really, I won't accept it!" Rachel said.

"Nonsense. I hope Eli likes his gift. I haven't bought kids gifts in a long time. But I do have an idea of what you two would like." Peter said, extending a tall bag to Rachel and a wider gift bag to Puck. Rachel could immediately tell it was a bottle of wine in her bag. She hugged and thanked him for it. Puck peeked into his bag and grinned.

"A good old bottle of JD. And it's a single barrel signature. Thanks man!" Puck said genuinely.

"I figured you'd appreciate a good bottle of your favorite." Peter said, sitting back at the bar. Rebecca went back to her seat and Rachel went back into the kitchen next to Puck. She didn't know if Peter was coached or not, but he was doing a fine job at wooing Puck all on his own. Rachel decided that she didn't need to run any interference for the rest of the night.

Before she knew it, Puck was kicking the females out before the game started. Rachel still hadn't figured out what important game it was (or even what sport was playing), but she didn't hesitate to leave the two men alone. She had to admit that she'd love to be a fly on the wall for the conversation though.

Rachel could feel Rebecca glancing at her during the drive to her apartment. They hadn't been inside Rachel's door for a minute before Rebecca launched into her questions.

"Have you and Noah even discussed marriage?" Rebecca asked.

"Ma, leave Rachel alone. Noah will kill you when he finds out you've been asking Rachel these wedding questions again." Hannah fussed.

"Nonsense. Whatever happens during our girls night will stay here. We'll pretend it's like Vegas. Now, answer the question Rachel." Rebecca said.

"Rebecca, we have a couple hours at least for this. Wouldn't you like to get settled in first? Change and get relaxed?"

"Fine. But it's a simple question Rachel. Either you have or you haven't." Rebecca said. Hannah groaned at her mother, mumbling "Batty Becca" to herself. She may not have been bothering Hannah as much, but concentration on Peter couldn't even keep Rebecca from fretting about Rachel and Noah.

"No, not extensively. Not much at all, actually." Rachel said.

"Hmm." Rebecca said knowingly. Rachel had no idea what the sound meant, but she didn't question it.

"You and Peter will have my room. Hannah you'll be in Eli's room. Make yourselves at home." Rachel said enthusiastically. Even though Rebecca was a little intense, she was the closest thing Rachel had to a mother and Hannah was the closest thing she had to a sister. She loved having them around. Hannah finished changing first and ran to sit next to Rachel.

"You think Noah's killed Peter yet?" Hannah whispered.

"I thought they were getting along pretty well." Rachel whispered back. Hannah scoffed.

"Yeah, cause Peter didn't mention marriage yet. And he softened Noah up with that gift. Hopefully my brother won't take it like Peter was trying to buy him off."  
"No, hopefully he doesn't drink the Jack Daniels. He may really get aggressive then." Rachel said. "But yeah, I'll make cookies tomorrow for you guys. You can help."

Rachel smoothly changed the subject as Rebecca walked out. She appeared to not notice the sudden shift in conversation and Rachel was relieved.

"Took you long enough to change ma. Were you already snooping around Rachel's room?" Hannah asked. Rebecca narrowed her eyes at her youngest child.

"I was simply admiring your room. This whole apartment is stunning. Your fathers must pay a fortune for rent. Makes no sense to have your apartment and Noah's house." Rebecca commented as Hannah flipped through the stations. Rachel didn't really have anything for girls night planned, but it looked like it would be an interview with Rebecca and Hannah teasing her about it along the way.

"Mom, you're beating around the bush. When are you and my brother moving in together? That, at least, could happen in the near future." Hannah asked. Rachel groaned internally. So, the both of them would be conducting the interview. _Great_. She wondered how Puck was fairing.

"My lease is up in June. I know we'll discuss that when it gets closer to then. Right now, my main focus is finishing up this last semester and graduating. Then I'll need to tackle finding a job. Noah and I are content right now. There's no immediate rush on anything." Rachel explained.

"Well, when you two do get married I think you should consider being a stay at home mom. Or just work part time. If anything, Noah's a provider. He'll make a way to ensure you and Eli have everything you need. Not that he's struggling now." Rebecca explained.

"I just can't wait until you have another baby!" Hannah exclaimed. The conversation was getting too outlandish and Rachel knew she had to bring them back to Earth.

"Trust me, Eli will be an only child for at least 5 more years. I'm glad you got all your questions out about Noah and I because I'm cutting you off for the rest of the weekend." Rachel said jokingly, even though she was 100% serious. Rebecca had the nerve to look ashamed.

"I just can't help it Rachel. But enough about that—let me tell you what Mrs. Rosenberg is up to at the temple." Rebecca started on her temple gossip and they talked nonstop for the rest of the evening. Rachel hadn't even noticed how much time had passed until there was a knock at the door. She ran to the door and saw a tired looking Peter through the peephole. Rachel quickly checked for torn clothes or facial bruises, but saw none. So at least they didn't get into a fight.

"Hello Rachel. Noah's waiting for you downstairs." Peter announced. Rebecca rushed over to Peter and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"How was my son? I've been worried about you since we left." Rebecca said. Hannah made puking gestures behind them, but kept quiet to hear the story. Rachel stood around too so she'd know what kind of attitude to have with Noah.

"Nothing to worry about. Noah and I seem to be on the same wavelength. We both want you all to be happy." Peter said. Rachel was relieved, but she knew there was way more to the story than that. She said goodnight, rushed outside, and hopped into Noah's SUV.

"How was—"

"You've been keeping this from me. I asked you what was going on and you didn't tell me that he was planning on _marrying_ my mother!" Puck exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down. Eli's sleeping." Rachel said sternly. "And it wasn't my place to just come out and tell you. Peter wanted to talk to you about it and—"

"Peter's not my girlfriend, you are! So you've been helping plan a proposal for my mother for over a week now and didn't bother to tell me or hint around."

"You obviously can't handle knowing. I'm getting really annoyed, to say the least, by your tantrums. You're acting like Eli. I never lied to you about it, I just didn't tell you. Peter asked Hannah and he wanted to ask you too. Who was I to ruin that?"

"This is why you were stressing the talk so much." Puck mumbled to himself.

"I just hope you didn't lash out on him like you're lashing out on me. I mean, is this how you act at work when something doesn't go your way?" Rachel knew she was pushing buttons.

"Don't patronize me Rachel. I just didn't like the idea of my girlfriend leaving me out on the loop for a big surprise like this."

"I did feel guilty about it. I almost told you last night."

"I remember. And the shitty thing about it was that I actually kind of figured something like this would happen this weekend, but I just knew you'd warn me. I mean, I'm not really mad. I'm just way surprised. Like I'm-still-not-sure-if-I-actually-like-this surprised."

"But you consented anyway, right?"

"Of course. I knew you'd cut my balls off and leave me if I didn't. Just know, that when we get married we're fucking eloping. I'll send your dads a text message, but fuck all that meeting in person and question asking shit."

To hear those words, even laced with profanity, made Rachel's heart soar.

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**I smell a Puck/Peter outtake coming up soon! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**happy saturday! i'm trying to crank these chapters out 1. b/c i'm done with classes and 2. b/c i'm about to graduate and i don't want to leave the story unfinished! I like this chapter & if you do too, leave me a review! BTW, check out my outtake piece to this fic. I've updated it with the Peter/Puck talk! :) bb315**

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Rachel slid out of bed early Saturday morning to make breakfast. She figured Puck would still be in a sour mood from the night before so she'd at least attempt to start the morning off good. As soon as she started pulling ingredients out in the kitchen, she heard little footsteps dashing into the kitchen. Eli peeked around the corner and attempted to scare Rachel.

"Ahh!" Rachel pretended to scream. Eli erupted into a fit of giggles and ran into Rachel's open arms.

"Is daddy sleeping?" Eli asked. Rachel nodded and kissed his forehead.

"What do you think daddy would like? Pancakes or—" Rachel knew she wouldn't even have to finish that statement. Eli was obsessed with pancakes.

"PANCAKES!" the toddler exclaimed. Rachel smiled and sat Eli on the counter next to the bowl. He always liked to add some of the ingredients in—this morning it would be blueberries. But before Rachel could get started, she heard her phone ringing in the bedroom. She whisked Eli into her arms and charged to get the phone before it woke Puck up. Too late. He'd answered the phone and was looking angry about it.

"You could have told me about this, you know. What kind of sister are you?" Puck fussed. Rachel rolled his eyes and sat on the bed with Eli, who pretended to be like a dog and crawled towards his father. Puck was so amused with his son that he handed the phone to Rachel without even letting Hannah know.

"Hello?"

"I was totally in the middle of a speech and he handed off the phone. Anyway, we're already getting dressed to come over there. Just wanted to warn you." Hannah said.

"That's perfect. I'm making breakfast right now. And your brother is getting up now." Rachel said, glancing at Puck. He covered his face with a pillow. Rachel ended the call and pried the pillow off her boyfriend's face.

"What will we do with them today? Usually I'm not around for Saturday Daddy Day, so you'll have to incorporate us all." Rachel suggested. Puck scoffed.

"Saturday Daddy Days are just for Eli and I. Top secret guy stuff. But, I guess after breakfast and stuff we can head downtown. Don't wanna wear Rebecca out too much for her big night." Puck said sourly. Rachel kissed his cheek. Puck pulled her down and hooked her in a bear hug. Eli squeezed his way in.

"Are you still mad at me?" Rachel asked sweetly.

"A little. But I love you though. Even though you betray me." Puck said. He tickled Eli and tossed him into the air.

"PUCK!" Rachel shouted. She rolled out of bed and Puck smacked her butt hard.

"Go make breakfast woman." Puck added, just to piss Rachel off.

"You're incorrigible." Rachel mumbled and went into the kitchen. By the time Rebecca, Hannah, and Peter arrived, Rachel had barely made progress. Puck and Eli kept attempting to tickle her every time she turned around. Living with the two was almost impossible at times, but Rachel wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Why don't the two of you go get showered and dressed, Hannah will get Eli set for the day, and Peter and I will finish breakfast." Rebecca suggested in a tone that meant she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Come on Eli!" Hannah exclaimed, taking the toddler into the other bathroom. Rachel reluctantly followed Puck into his bedroom. He locked the door behind them and grinned at Rachel's expression.

"If you wanted breakfast to be your way, you should have gotten it done." Puck teased, knowing good and well that it was his fault she didn't finish breakfast herself. Rachel playfully pushed him and ran into the bathroom so she could shower first. She stripped down and as soon as she stepped in the shower, the bathroom door opened. Puck pulled the shower curtain back and stepped in right under the stream of water.

"Why are you being so playful this morning?" Rachel asked, reaching around him for her shampoo. Puck took it from her and poured some of the strawberry scented shampoo in his hand. He nudged Rachel around and worked his fingers slowly in her hair.

"We shouldn't shower together while your mom is in the kitchen." Rachel whispered, as if someone would hear her.

"You afraid that I'll try to have sex with you Rach?" Puck whispered into her ear, stepping closer to her.

"Yes. And that would be highly inappropriate." Rachel said sternly. Puck gently lathered the shampoo in her hair then switched positions so that she'd be under the water.

"I'm just going to wash your hair babe." Puck said. Rachel smiled, relief washing over her face. "_Then_ I'm going to fuck you into the wall. Hope you can keep your voice down."

"Noah!" Rachel whispered.

"Rach, you totally owe me. Shower sex right now would wipe the slate clean. I would never hold your betrayal and deceit over your head again." Puck said. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"And sex is the way to do that?"

"Well, we're having sex in this shower regardless. And I'm already getting hard thinking about it." Puck said. Rachel made the mistake of looking down. Seeing Puck's growing erection, along with the water dripping down his body did something to her. He was playing dirty. They didn't have shower sex that often, and when they did it was _never_ a quiet affair.

"Can't we do this tonight? The kitchen's right there!" Rachel whispered. Puck shook his head and turned Rachel back around so he could put the conditioner in her hair. He stood as close as he could to her, conveniently allowing his lips to brush against her ear.

"You're not going to try to test me on this, are you?" Puck asked.

"I can perform oral stimulation, but that's the best I'll do." Rachel said. Puck chuckled next to her ear.

"You're run a good bargain Berry. You blow me, and I'll definitely moan. _Loud_. I fuck you, and there's a possibility that you'll moan loud. Unfortunately, we both have to get off. C'mon, let me rinse this out before my mom gets suspicious. We'll still have to actually shower off after sex."

Rachel hated (secretly loved) when Puck put her in situations like that. The dammed she did, dammed if she didn't type of deals. It was just best to give in when he was feeling like a challenge. She stood back under the water and rinsed out the conditioner. Puck palmed her breasts and put one in his mouth. Rachel reached down to stroke him, knowing the faster she started the faster they'd finish.

"Good girl." Puck said, nipping at her ear. He reached down and worked his fingers between her legs while sucking on her neck. If Rachel could think properly, she'd remember that she bruised easily. Puck lifted up one of Rachel's legs and wrapped it around him and slid right into her.

"Don't hold on too long Rach." Puck said in his deep, throaty sex voice. He backed them up onto the shower wall and worked himself in and out. Rachel wanted to scream so bad and Puck could tell.

"Stop biting your lip. Bite me." Puck said. Even in the heat of the moment, Rachel quirked her eye at him. Puck ground harder into her, quirking his eye right back at her. He lifted Rachel completely off the shower floor and she wrapped her other leg around him.

"Bite me Rachel." Puck said lowly. Rachel hooked her arm around his neck on one side and attached her lips to the other side of his neck. She was thankful for his instruction because the angle in which he was penetrating her made her want to yell out in ecstasy. It wasn't long before she had to let go and orgasm. Puck followed quickly after. He let Rachel down easily and grinned at her.

"That made our top ten." Puck said, grabbing his body wash. Rachel grabbed hers and tried to make quick work of cleaning herself up. She had no idea how long they were in her shower. It felt like the water was getting cold, but she wasn't sure if that was her mind playing tricks on her or not.

"And relax babe. If you go out there looking guilty everyone will know we just had mindblowing, amazing, record-setting sex." Puck said. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"It wasn't that good." Rachel teased.

"We'll both have hickeys on our neck that prove otherwise."

The two finally made it out the shower and Rachel rushed to dry off and get dressed. Puck rolled his eyes at her, mumbling about how it was stupid for her to be embarrassed. He told her he'd worked up an appetite and he wasn't afraid to go out and get breakfast. Rachel blow-dried her hair before she made her way out. She was relieved to see that no one looked at her funny when she came out the room. Puck sent her an "I-told-you-so" smirk.

"So Rachel—" Rebecca started while Rachel fixed her plate. "Hannah is going to babysit Eli tonight so that you, Noah, Peter, and I can go on a double date. Isn't that great?"

Rachel wasn't expecting that. The night was specifically planned to give Rebecca and Peter time alone to get engaged. At the same time, Rachel _did_ want to see how the whole proposal went down.

"I told her that you guys wouldn't want to hang out with old folks like us." Peter said, giving Rachel a pleading look behind Rebecca's back.

"Damn straight. I'm not double dating with my mother." Puck said seriously. Rebecca turned to her son looking completely shocked.

"Noah, are you saying that I'm not worthy of your time? Are you embarrassed to go out with me? I've been nothing but—"

"Oh ma, kill the guilt. It's not happening." Puck said.

"It IS happening. We're going out to dinner together. Now stop talking about it and enjoy breakfast. Rachel, these blueberries are very fresh. They're delicious." Rebecca said, changing the subject like an expert. Puck sulked at the table, narrowing his eyes at his mother behind her back.

######

Rachel was ironing Puck's shirt while he stood in the mirror shaving and complaining. She swore he'd already said all the profane words in existence while talking about how much he didn't want to go out to eat with his mother.

"And what restaurant are we going to? I thought you didn't want me to spend any more money on expensive things? You know what Peter does for a living? He's an investment banker!"

"He's an investment banker." Rachel said at the same time. Puck mumbled some more to himself under his breath. Rachel hung his ironed shirt on a hanger. She didn't pack anything nice enough, so she had to wait until Hannah came over with her dress. All she had to do was describe a piece of her dress and Hannah already had it picked out and the shoes to match. She was probably the greatest 14-year old in the world.

"Noah, I know you don't want to go to this dinner. But you've got to remember this is supposed to be a big moment for Rebecca. Don't be sour and ruin it." Rachel reminded.

"Shut up. You're just excited to be able to witness the whole thing. Where the hell are your dads at when I need them? They're the ones that should have been here to go on this double date from hell."

"I almost thought about inviting them up here this weekend, but I figured you'd probably go insane. Too much authority in one room." Rachel teased.

"I'm glad you're finding this hilarious babe."

Rebecca, Hannah, and Peter arrived at 7:30, which meant that Rachel had to quickly get dressed so that they'd make their 8:00 reservations. She took her hair out of the ponytail and slipped on her pumps.

"You look hot Rach! You guys have a blast tonight!" Hannah said a little too happily. Rebecca eyed her daughter.

"Stop trying to pick at your brother. He'll be fine. You see Rachel isn't making a big fuss about eating with adults." Rebecca said. Rachel was glad that was the conclusion she drew from Hannah's remark.

"We'll drive separately. Hannah, I'll have my phone on if anything goes wrong. And Finn already knows to listen out in case you call." Puck instructed, opening the door for everyone to file out. Rachel gave Eli a kiss on the cheek and walked out before Puck.

"We'll ride together. It makes no sense to waste gas and parking if we're going to the same place." Rebecca said. Puck groaned.

"Woman, you're really driving me insane. I'm trying to be a good son and go to this dinner—"

"Noah. In Peter's car. Now." Rebecca said, turning towards Peter's BMW. Rachel grabbed Puck's hand and had to drag him over to the car.

"I have a feeling things are only getting worse from here." Puck mumbled as he opened the backdoor for her. Rachel pinched him.

"You do anything out of order tonight and I will not have sex with you for a month." Rachel said. Puck rolled his eyes.

"You couldn't even handle that."

"Don't dare me on this one." Rachel said seriously. She was glad Peter and Rebecca were wrapped up in their own conversation to not wonder what she and Puck were talking about. Peter plugged the address into his GPS and drove straight to Mitchell's Steakhouse.

"You're going to valet park?" Rebecca asked incredulously.

"Darling, I've let you run the show today. I can handle tonight. No more from you, agreed?" Peter said to Rebecca. She sighed.

"Agreed." She replied anyway. It was weird to see someone put Rebecca in her place. The valet attendant opened the door and Puck helped Rachel out. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Maybe he's good to keep around if he can control her like that." Puck whispered. Rachel smiled and nodded. Peter held the door to the restaurant open for them.

"Bathroom with Rebecca. Quick." He whispered as Rachel passed.

"Rebecca, could you come with me to the ladies room. Noah, we'll find you two in a second." Rachel said smoothly. Rebecca followed Rachel to the bathroom wondering what was up.

"Do you think my dress is too casual for this place?" Rachel asked. She knew her dress was fine, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Obviously that wasn't a good enough distraction for Rebecca.

"Of course it is. You're gorgeous as usual sweetie. Now lets—"

"It's just that I've been feeling really… I don't know. Out of it." Rachel said. Oh, she could go on for days with that lie. Rebecca looked genuinely concerned.

"I bet you're just stressed. You're a fulltime mom, a fulltime student, and you're working. I bet once you and Noah moved in together your load would feel a bit lighter." Rebecca said seriously. Rachel was beginning to think Rebecca's cure for anything involving her would be to move in with Noah. Hopefully Peter had done what he needed to do because she couldn't take another "move in with Noah" conversation.

"Maybe you're right. Let's go." Rachel said, leading the way. A host was standing outside the bathroom door waiting on them.

"Ms. Puckerman and Miss Berry, allow me to direct you to your gentlemen." He said. Rebecca looked back at Rachel and followed the host over to the table. Now Rachel got it. Peter must have been paying off the host for a great table. It was private and over by the windows. Puck and Peter both stood up to pull out their chairs and they all sat back down.

"I ordered waters for everyone and the champagne should arrive at any moment." Peter announced. Rebecca's eyes widened, but she must have remembered her agreement with Peter.

Rachel's phone buzzed in her purse and she looked up apologetically.

"I'm sorry to keep my phone on but Hannah's alone with Eli. It may be her." Rachel said, looking at her latest message.

"Dude just shelled out $120 for that champagne. My mom will flip her shit if she finds that out. Blackmail!" Puck wrote. Rachel rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her purse.

"It wasn't Hannah, was it?" Rebecca asked.

"No. Just some desperate guy from high school. He still tries to contact me." Rachel said, looking at her menu to keep from laughing. She knew it was an expensive restaurant, but she didn't expect prices to be _that_ high. Rachel looked at Puck and knew he was thinking the same thing.

"What are you ordering?" Rachel asked him.

"Well, I think I'm going to opt for this $7 starter salad." Puck joked. Rachel ignored him, but seriously looked for something appetizing and under $30.

"Order whatever you'd like. It's my treat." Peter said. Puck sat the menu on the table and looked at Peter.

"No way man."

"Absolutely not." Rachel said at the same time. Peter shook his head at them.

"You guys were wonderful hosts. And I don't have any children of my own to do this with. Allow me the opportunity, please." Peter insisted. Rachel looked at Puck, still very uncomfortable with Peter paying for everything. He wouldn't leave the restaurant without spending at least $200 on their meal.

"Peter, I know I'm not supposed to—" Rebecca started.

"You aren't. Besides, you were the one who forced Noah and Rachel to join us this evening. Remember?" Peter said. Rebecca remained silent. Rachel glanced at Puck who had an awed expression on his face. A man who could respectfully shut his mother? Rachel knew Puck was already working up plans in his head to use Peter as his ally. The sommelier came over with the bottle of champagne and poured each of them a glass.

"What the occasion?" He asked.

"Just celebrating life. And love." Peter said, raising his glass to the rest of them. The sommelier smiled and wished them well before he walked away.

"This is awful fancy for just a dinner out. Noah, are you proposing to Rachel?" Rebecca asked seriously. She was so right and so wrong at the same time.

"Maybe I will if she behaves tonight." Puck joked. Rachel pinched his leg under the table.

"Noah, don't play games with Rachel. She might leave you for good this time." Rebecca said.

"That's probably what he's hoping for, but now he's stuck with me." Rachel said. The occasion, atmosphere, and champagne made her feel bubbly.

Luckily, Rebecca stopped talking about Puck and Rachel and they had a nice discussion about a variety of things. Rachel was especially excited that Puck was genuinely engaged in the conversation. Puck and Peter actually found out they had some things in common. As their plates got emptier, Rachel could tell Peter was feeling a little nervous. She was wondering how to get Rebecca from the table without making her suspicious. Rachel thought about pretending she had to throw up, but that would be entirely too dramatic in a restaurant.

"I'm going to the ladies room." Rebecca said, getting up. She had the perfect timing, even if she didn't know it yet.

"Would you like me to come with?" Rachel asked.

"No sweetie, of course not. Be right back." Rebecca said, walking away. Rachel and Puck turned to Peter.

"What's the plan?" Rachel asked Peter.

"Noah, I know your mother well. But you know her best. Should I do it here or should I try to do it elsewhere?" Peter asked.

"About time someone ask for my help in this. It's not like I haven't known my mother for the past 23 years."

"Noah, hurry up!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Chill out Rachel. Just prepare your little proposal speech for after dinner. Ma already thinks I'm proposing to Rachel tonight or something, so I'll suggest a walk in the park around the corner. You and her can straggle behind us and when I hear my mom crying and carrying on, I'll know you sealed the deal."

"That was my idea from the beginning Noah." Rachel said.

"Yeah and look how Rebecca has us at dinner with them." Noah teased. Rachel frowned, knowing he was right. The waiter came over and Peter paid for the check, ignoring Noah's protests.

"The only thing you can do for me is finish up that champagne." Peter said. Puck filled his and Rachel's glasses back up. He downed it like a shot and Rachel drank hers slowly. She definitely felt a rush to the head.

"It's kind of good to not have to worry about being a designated driver." Puck said, refilling their glasses again.

"This is the last one for me." Rachel said as Rebecca approached the table.

"You two are awfully playful and flirty with each other today. What's going on that I don't know about?" Rebecca asked.

"They're young and in love. Shall we?" Peter said, putting his credit card back in his wallet.

"Is it okay if we take a little detour to this park I've been wanting to show Rach?" Puck asked Peter, just for Rebecca's sake. Rachel didn't miss the way Rebecca's eyes sparkled. She just knew that Puck would be proposing.

"Absolutely. An after-dinner walk would be refreshing." Peter said.

Rachel and Puck linked hands and led the way. It was a beautiful night out and the champagne had her a little lightheaded but blissful. It almost felt like she was floating on air, even in 4' heels.

"I love you Noah Puckerman."

"I love you too Rachel Berry. The champagne has you all romantic and stuff."

"No, you have me all romantic. You're a wonderful man, deep down inside." Rachel teased. Puck picked her up and spun her around.

"Well, I won't say anything nice about you now." He said, setting her back on the ground.

"You've been lifting me up all day. Are you trying to hint at how strong you are?" Rachel said, grinning. Puck twirled a strand of her hair around his finger.

"You know these guns are powerful. Wonder how long we're supposed to walk along before he proposes?"

"Let's sit on that swinging bench over there." Rachel pointed, pulling Puck along excitedly.

"You're acting like Eli." Puck said laughing, pulling Rachel down on the swing beside him. They sat quietly, listening to nature and the swing creaking back and forth.

"You wanna get married?" Puck asked. Rachel looked up at him.

"Is that a serious question?"

"Of course it's a serious question."

"But I mean are you talking about tomorrow? Ten years?" Rachel asked. She was nervously excited but trying to keep a straight face. If Puck was kidding, it would definitely hurt.

"I'm not telling you when. Maybe I should rephrase the question. When I propose, will you give me the run around and freak out with another contract? Or will you say yes?" Puck asked. Rebecca screamed from afar, laughing and crying but saying "yes" repeatedly. The two of them looked back and saw Peter and Rebecca embracing.

"Yes." Rachel said. Puck kissed her passionately. The moment was so perfect. Rachel couldn't help but let a few tears fall. Puck wiped them away just as quickly as they fell.

"Does this mean that technically we're engaged now?" Rachel asked.

"No, this is the pre-proposal contract."

"Shouldn't the contract be a little more explicitly outlined?" Rachel asked.

"How'd I forget you were a lawyer's daughter? Don't worry about anything else involving this. I'll strike when you least expect it." Puck said with a smirk. Rachel just prayed she'd be able to focus on anything else but becoming engaged herself.

"Puck and Rachel! Come over!" Peter exclaimed. When they got close, Rebecca ran into her son's arms.

"Congrats ma." Puck said, kissing her cheek. He shook Peter's hand and offered him genuine congratulations. Rebecca squeezed Rachel tight.

"I know some of this was your doing!" Rebecca exclaimed.

"Some. Mostly Peter and a bit of Puck." Rachel said.

"I'd be honored if you'd help me plan the wedding Rachel and serve as my maid of honor." Rebecca said. Rachel started crying again, completely honored to be worthy of both roles. The guys let them cry, hug it out, and eventually compose themselves.

"Let's get out of here." Peter said, grabbing Rebecca's hand. Puck followed suit and they left the park.

When they returned back to Puck's house, Hannah and Eli were already sleeping. Puck popped into Eli's room to update Hannah on the night. Rachel took that opportunity to change into her pajamas and get right into bed. Puck was in soon after, stripping down to his boxers and climbing into bed behind Rachel.

"Today was pretty intense. Can't believe this was just one day." Rachel said to him. Puck snickered behind Rachel.

"Just imagine how it's gonna be as my mom's maid of honor/wedding planner. At least my only job is to throw a rocking bachelor's party."

"Wait!" Rachel sat up and looked at Puck. "How do you know you're the best man?"

"Because while you and my mother were carrying on, Peter asked me. That's how it's supposed to go. They ask, you say yes or no, and then you move on. Not hug and cry for five hours. Goodnight babe." Puck said, pulling Rachel back down.

That night Rachel dreamed of weddings.


	14. Chapter 14

**Please don't hate me? Okay... there are really no excuses. We won't go into the loong delay, I'll just let you guys get on with the chapter! **

* * *

April came barreling in before Rachel knew it. As if she didn't have enough obligations, she had to add graduation preparations onto that list. Four years of undergrad suddenly seemed like they went too fast, much like the days themselves. Rachel realized it was already after 11 and she still hadn't gotten dressed for the day. She didn't have class (the theater faculty were away at a conference), but Rachel knew she really needed to use her free time constructively in order to finish the rest of the semester.

The most important thing was her schoolwork. For once in her life, Rachel actually felt a little pinch of "senioritis". She'd been neglecting her work and procrastinating, two things she was usually unfamiliar with. She still had been making great grades, so as long as she finished strong she wasn't concerned with her work ethic—just the fact that the work got done.

The next thing was her post-graduation plan—her nonexistent plan. The theater opportunities in Columbus were slim. Rachel would audition for the summer shows at the theater, but what were they compared to theater on Broadway? Relocation wasn't an option. Puck was just getting settled into his job and there was no way that she could separate Eli from his father, even for her lifelong dream.

Then there was Rebecca's wedding, which was her third stressor. Rebecca had always been so good to Rachel, which was why Rachel was giving her all for the wedding. Rebecca's first wedding was at a courthouse and Rachel really wanted to make this wedding special. So did Rebecca's entire family. Because Rachel was the "official" wedding planner, Puck's aunts and cousins had been blowing up Rachel's phone with ideas for the wedding. Rachel was thankful for the feedback (well some of it—Cousin Linda's idea about having her son's rock band perform at the reception wasn't helpful), but Rebecca hadn't even chosen a date yet. Rachel didn't want to rush the process, but she needed to know something soon. Caterers, flowers, locations—all that had to be reserved.

Puck was right. With everything going on, Rachel barely had time to dwell on the possibility that he could propose to her at any moment. Of course, it crossed her mind daily but it seemed like homework, potential unemployment, and wedding planning trumped her own possible engagement.

Rachel took a quick shower and came out to find her phone ringing. She caught it right before it went to voicemail.

"Why haven't you been answering?" Puck exclaimed. Rachel's heart dropped to her stomach. The urgency in his voice meant it had to be something up with Eli.

"What's wrong?"

"The daycare just called. Eli ran into a wall. He's got a knot forming on his head and they think you should come pick him up."

"Ran into a wall? Is he okay?" Rachel asked. She put her phone on speaker and threw it on the bed while she found something to put on.

"He's good. I talked to him for a sec. I've got this meeting but I'll try leave early after that."

"Okay Noah."

"Are you okay Rach?"

"No, I'm absolutely worried. I'll talk to you as soon as I pick him up." Rachel said.

"Babe, it's probably just a knot on the head. Usually it's nothing serious. Just keep an eye on him and—"

"Noah, I'm perfectly capable of accessing Eli's injuries." Rachel snapped.

"I know you're worried but calm down. Eli doesn't need to see you acting like a complete basket case. Call me when you get him." Puck said gently, not taking offense to Rachel's comment. She grabbed her things and ran out the door. Since she was at her apartment, it didn't take long at all for her to arrive at the daycare. Rachel barely had the car in park before she jumped out. Familiar with Rachel's intensity, the daycare's director was waiting for her by the door.

"Ms. Berry, he's fine but he does have a knot forming." The director was holding Eli in her lap with a bag of ice over his head. Rachel reached for her son, examining the knot herself.

"How exactly did this happen?" Rachel asked. She was in complete mother bear mode, wondering what happened to her cub. She held Eli protectively.

"From what I heard—"

"Well, if you don't know for sure I'd like to speak to an adult who does." Rachel interrupted.

"Ms. Berry, I'd love to have one of Eli's teachers come talk to you but I'm afraid they're tied up with the other children. His teacher told me that the kids were playing and running around and Eli could have tripped over something and fell into the wall. But it just looks like a little knot, so there's nothing to worry about."

"There's a knot on my son's forehead that wasn't there when we dropped him off earlier. That _is_ something to worry about. Please have one of Eli's teachers call me when they're not tied up." Rachel snapped and walked out. As soon as she got outside, she felt terrible about being so rude. The beast that came out for Eli's wellbeing wasn't usually pleasant.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Rachel asked Eli as she strapped him in his carseat. Eli yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"I hit the wall Mommy!" Eli announced, yawning again.

"I see that. You've got to stay awake for mommy though. Stay awake so we can watch Backyardigans, okay?" She needed him to stay awake until she got him home and checked him out herself.

"I wanna hear Backyardigans!" Eli said. Rachel realized that she did have a CD in her car's player. That would be perfect to keep him awake.

Rachel jumped back in the driver's seat and pulled off, cautiously speeding to back to her apartment the entire way. Every few moments she looked back to see if Eli was awake. She kept talking to him and asking him questions, just to keep him alert. Puck called her just as she parked her car.

"How's he doing?" Puck asked.

"He seems to be fine. I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier."

"It's okay babe. I called my mom about it and she said if he starts to act unusual, take him into the emergency room." Rachel was grateful that Puck was proactive enough to call Rebecca about Eli's injury himself.

"Should I still call his doctor?" Rachel asked. She set Eli down on the floor and turned on the television for him.

"I know you'll call regardless. Are you still at your apartment or coming over to my place?"

"We'll be over at my apartment."

"Let me know what the doctor says and that'll determine if I need to get off early or not." Puck said.

Fortunately—although it took a lot of convincing from his pediatrician for Rachel to believe it—Eli turned out to be fine. He didn't really like to keep the ice on his forehead, but he was as alert and active as ever. After lunch, Rachel was hesitant to let him take a nap. She felt so bad for him because of her spazzing out, but Eli was so cooperative. After calling the doctor again to make sure, she finally let Eli fall asleep. She'd have to reward him once he was better.

Rachel tried to get started on some of the work she needed to finish up for school but found it hard to stay focused since she was waking up Eli every 15 minutes to make sure he was okay. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to write a paper. Instead, she went online to order graduation announcements. Her phone rang just as she finished the order. Rachel jumped up to answer it, gently shaking Eli to see if he was responsive. The toddler pushed his mother away and rolled to the other side. Like father, like son.

"Hi Rebecca." Rachel answered.

"I called to check on you."

"Oh, he's napping now. I think he's—"

"I'm sure Eli's fine. I called to check on you." Rebecca interrupted. "Noah told me you were freaking out. Eli's every bit of a Puckerman. And those Pucker 'men' have hard heads. He's fine."

"I know he is. I didn't panic but I just went into an entirely different mode when I heard he was hurt. You should have heard how I spoke to the woman at Eli's daycare!" Rachel still felt terrible about that.

"I'm sure she's seen worse Rachel. Anyway, do you have a moment? I want to run something by you." That meant Rebecca wanted to talk wedding.

"Sure, what's up?" Rachel asked. She already had a special notebook designated for Rebecca's wedding planning.

"Peter and I have been talking and we got this great idea. What about a destination wedding?" Rebecca asked.

"Wow that's… that's a big idea."

"I know it's ridiculous. But I just know in my heart that Peter's it for me. I want something nice but we don't need a lot of people and a whole big thing around Lima. It can be something intimate with close family and friends."

"When? Where?" Rachel couldn't even form an eloquent sentence. Rebecca sure knew how to throw a fast one at her.

"We haven't really decided on the where yet, that's where you'll come in. But we were thinking October."

"Oh that's plenty of time to plan. That's 18 months out." Rachel said, relieved.

"No sweetie, this October. Or what about Labor Day weekend?" Rebecca asked. At that moment, Rachel wanted to throw her phone at the wall. She had never looked into destination weddings, but she didn't think she could pull together a local wedding in six months, let alone a wedding at a location that was TBA.

"You guys should come to Lima this weekend so we can get this squared away. I'm pretty sure there's a lot that has to go into this. Peter and I will talk about it and have concrete ideas for on Friday. How does that sound?"

"I will definitely let you know tomorrow. Eli's waking up now so we'll talk then." Rachel lied and rushed off the phone. She truly loved Rebecca but the woman did drive her insane at times. A destination wedding? Someone had been watching too many wedding reality shows. Truthfully, Rachel knew nothing about wedding planning specifically. She was an excellent planner for everything else in her life (minus those post-graduation plans), so she thought she'd be a natural at wedding planning. She never realized there was so much involved. Rachel didn't want to disappoint Rebecca, but she didn't want to be in over her head either. Maybe the weekend in Lima would be good so that they could lay down some concrete plans, especially for a ceremony six months away. Puck would probably be her only obstacle. She explained Rebecca's idea as soon as he arrived at her apartment. His response was quick and stern.

"I'm not going to Lima this weekend. I feel like we _just_ saw them." Puck said, fixing himself something to drink.

"That was weeks ago. You're going to make me drive down there myself?" Rachel asked.

"Rach you'd do it any other time. Just say you want me to protect you from my mom. You don't know how to tell her no." That was completely true—Rachel definitely needed to work on that.  
"Yes I do!"

"I don't believe that for some reason. Anyway, Lima's a definite hell no for me babe. But I'll keep Eli and you can go down there and have a wedding planning bash with Batty Becca and Peter." Puck said. Rachel frowned knowing that he wasn't changing his mind. Puck gave Rachel a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"Even though I'm staying far away from this process, I appreciate what you're doing for my mom babe. I know how intense she is, trust me. She's lucky to have you. _I'm_ lucky to have you."

"Yeah yeah. Sending me to the wolves alone is an awfully terrible way to show how much you care. But since I'll be home with my dads, I guess I'll be fine." Rachel said. Puck sent her a smirk and went to go check on Eli.

When Rachel's dads found out about her visit, they were thrilled. She hadn't seen them since January, so a visit was long overdue. She arrived on Friday morning and her fathers were home waiting on her.

"You must be as busy as you tell us." Her daddy said, hugging her before she walked in the door.

"Why do you say that?" Rachel asked.

"Your hair's longer. Usually you cut it when you get to this point." Her daddy noticed, taking her bag and closing the door behind them.

"How observant." Rachel said, examining the ends of her hair. "Where's dad? Is he not feeling well?"

"He had chemo yesterday, so he's still a little weary. Go tell him you made safely and I'll take your things upstairs."

Admittedly, Rachel was a little apprehensive to enter the room, but when she did she saw him sitting up and watching CNN—just like her dad.

"Can you believe gas prices?" he asked her. Rachel crawled into bed and gave him a kiss on the cheek before he wrapped his arm around her.

"I kept my eyes closed as I filled up today. The Prius is great on gas though, even if gas is a billion a gallon. How are you?"  
"I'm okay. How are you? Graduation is a month away."

"Don't remind me." Rachel mumbled. Her daddy came into the room and got in the bed next to her.

"Rachel, graduation is an important monument in your life. You mean you want to stay in undergrad forever?" her daddy asked.

"Attending Ohio State made so much sense when I was graduating high school. Now that I'm finishing up there, what can I do in Columbus? The closest place that I can go that has a decent theater background is Chicago and that's five hours away."

"So move to Chicago Rachel." Her dad said as if it was an obvious choice.

"I couldn't separate Eli and Noah like that. And I couldn't be away from my son for such a long period of time."

"Move there with them." Her daddy suggested. For some reason, the conversation was starting to aggravate Rachel.

"Noah has a great job. He can't just leave!"

"Surely, there are plenty of architectural firms in Chicago." Her dad said.

"Haven't the two of you talked about it? Or do you shut down with him like you're doing with us?" Her daddy asked.

"We're not trying to overwhelm you sweetie, but it's obvious that you're putting it off. Maybe you should go down and talk to your old guidance counselor since your therapist has moved away."

"You should take a couple graduation announcements to your favorite teachers. You must have rush ordered them."

_Favorite teachers?_ All of her teachers hated her, maybe except Mr. Schue. And Mrs. Schue, formerly Miss Pillsbury, hadn't really helped her that much over the years. But for some reason, Rachel had a strange nostalgic feeling about Lima High School. Even in the midst of bullying, failed relationships, and her star talent being ignored Rachel still found inspiration within in those halls.

Rachel kissed her fathers and got off the bed. She assembled a couple of graduation announcements and went on her way to Lima High School. Being there as an adult was completely different from being a student there. Guys were ogling her, which definitely didn't happen while she went there. Maybe they thought she was a substitute teacher. Even though it was weird, it was flattering. Rachel could see how the cougars got involved with Puck.

She got a visitor's pass just to follow protocol and made her way over to Mrs. Schuester's guidance office. Rachel got a glimpse of Coach Sylvester and was surprised to see that the woman was still intimidating, even if Rachel was a grown adult and far removed from high school. Just as she expected, Mrs. Schue was inside her empty office—because no one usually came to the guidance office anyway.

"Rachel Berry? What a surprise!" Rachel was caught in a hug before she could even blink. She took that to mean that Mrs. Schuester had overcome her fear of germs.

"Mrs. Schuester, it's great to see you. How are you?"  
"Please Rachel, call me Emma. Oh my goodness, Will would love to see you! He's in a planning period now. Are you just here to visit or—"

"Actually, I'm here for a little guidance. Are you free? Or—I mean. I'm sorry, this is a little surreal being back in my high school." Rachel couldn't quite put her finger on the emotion. Was it nostalgia? Whatever it was was overwhelming. Emma noticed and directed Rachel to a seat. She closed the door and sat back at her desk.

As soon as Rachel opened her mouth to speak, big fat tears rolled down her cheek. Emma was startled by the display, but she straightened her face and handed Rachel some tissues. The more Rachel tried to get a grip on her tears, the harder she cried.

"How are you feeling after that?" Rachel cried all the time, so what was up with that onslaught of hidden feelings? She didn't even know she had that sorrowful cry within her, so she definitely didn't know how she felt.

"I—I don't know. Honestly I'm—" Rachel was rarely at a loss for words. Emma picked up on it and filled in easily.

"You're overwhelmed. I recognize that cry." Emma said sympathetically. "Do you know how much mess a baby makes? Well, of course you do. I _thought_ I did, but boy was that an experience. A recovering germophobe as a first time mom, what a situation! Rachel I was so afraid, but I was more afraid to disappoint everyone. Will, our families, and—most importantly—our children. Your turn."

Rachel look a deep breath. Being back at McKinley stirred up feelings that she had obviously been suppressing.

"When I walked around these halls, I may not have been the prettiest or the most popular, but I was confident that I'd be a star. That I'd make something amazing happen for myself. Now, I'm 22 with a toddler. Correction, I'm 22, unmarried, and I'm a mother. Don't get me wrong because Eli is the most wonderful surprise I've ever had and he makes me so happy everyday, but—"

The words were caught in Rachel's throat. If felt like she was choking. Emma sat next to Rachel and rubbed her back.

"Some part of you is miserable Rachel. Don't clam up now, continue to talk through it." Emma encouraged.

"Things would be so much different if I never got pregnant. I feel trapped. I can't go after my dreams. I have no dreams—I have Eli's dreams to look forward to now. I can see how parents could push their child into certain careers and hobbies—it's like you have to give up everything, _everything_, for your children. And I wouldn't mind doing that one day, but it's too soon. Fifteen percent of me is upset about having unprotected sex with Noah and the other 85% of me hates the fact that I feel that way. And the most stressful part of this is that I deal with this in the back of my mind constantly, but it's so far back there that it barely registers. But being here—it brings it all out."

"Rachel, you are probably the only person I've ever met with such a detailed life plan in high school. But the reality is, you can't plan for everything. You can only try your best to adapt. When you found out about your father's cancer, you went to plan B. Getting pregnant in college? You adapted to that _and_ you're graduating next month. Rachel, I have no question about your continued success. You just have to find a different avenue to get there." Emma advised. The bell rang out in the hallway. After all those years, Rachel had forgotten how the bell even sounded.

"Honestly Emma, everyone tells me something like that. Can't I just get a straight answer? Someone just tell me what to do?"

"Okay then. Go to the choir room. Maybe you'll find something there." Emma instructed. Rachel took the familiar route to the choir room where she and her glee club spent many afternoons. She walked in and 14 teenagers stared at her. It wasn't a second before they began speculating.

"Did Mr. Schue leave?"

"Yes! No glee rehearsal!"

"Damn that's one hot sub."

"Are you guys serious? That's Rachel Berry." One girl rushed from her seat with a pen and paper in her hand.

"Miss Berry, could I please get your autograph. Your rendition of Don't Rain on My Parade at your sectionals competition was absolutely breathtaking. You have—" She was cut off by a guy wearing a football jersey.

"That looks nothing like Rachel Berry. This woman is much hotter."

Rachel felt like she was stuck in some warped twilight zone. Right before her was the younger version of her and Puck. The rest of the choir was a mix of interested and uninterested spectators and it reminded her so much of her own time in glee club.

"Who should I make this out to?" Rachel asked her fan.

"Amanda Slade. I'm currently the lead singer for the club, just like you were when you were at McKinley." Amanda stated. Rachel heard familiar backlash from the rest of the group.

"Well, I'd love to sit in and hear all of you perform." Rachel said. The excitement she felt inside of her was unmatched.

"We'd be honored." Rachel turned around and smiled widely at Mr. Schuester. They'd had their clashes while Rachel was a student, but now she could really appreciate how much her teacher did for them.

"It's great to see you Mr. Schuester!" Rachel said and gave him a hug.

"You can call me Will now Rachel. Emma told me I had a special guest and this an awesome surprise! I talk about you guys often. We'd love to get your feedback on a couple of numbers we're preparing for Regionals."

If Rachel thought being a glee teacher was a good idea before, she was definitely sold on it then. The amazing thing was that the students actually listened to her. She spent countless periods in that same classroom saying some of the same things to classmates who ignored her. She and Will even performed "Unforgettable" (a request by Amanda) by Nat King and Natalie Cole. Even though she was far from Broadway, it felt like she was in her element.

"Whoa Schue. Props man, that was pretty tight." The Puck's protégé admitted.

"That was phenomenal. Rachel, you are officially my idol." Amanda exclaimed. As Mr. Schue dismissed the class, Rachel and Amanda exchanged contact information. Rachel recognized the power and passion her young admirer had.

Since it was lunch period, Will and Emma convinced Rachel to stay for a while and catch up. They exchanged pictures of their children and had a nice, easy conversation.

"Rachel, you've really grown up to be impressive. The way the club just reacted to you was—have you ever considered being in charge of your own glee club? I mean, at least while you're still in Columbus. I think you'd be excellent." Will said.

"So do I." Emma agreed.

Rachel didn't leave much longer after that. She gave them a graduation announcement while they left her with a new "avenue" as Emma called it. Rachel called Puck to run the idea by him. She hadn't talked to him since she left Columbus that morning.

"Glad you know you made it safely. Did you detour in Alaska?" Puck joked.

"I just left McKinley. I was at a glee rehearsal!"

"Get the hell out of here. Finn and I always said you'd probably end up being a crazy glee coach or something."  
"I think I want to Noah. I've been stressing out more and more the closer graduation gets. Broadway isn't feasible right now, so maybe this is the next best thing. I had a blast with the kids today—" Rachel described everything that happened during the glee rehearsal.

"Babe, I can't say that I ever understood your obsession with glee club, but I'll support you as long as you're happy." Puck said genuinely. They talked about a few other things but got off the phone soon afterward since Puck had to get back to work.

Rachel had a plan, but now she actually had to find an open position in Columbus. Instead of dwelling on that, Rachel curled up in between her fathers and watched terrible reality shows for the rest of the afternoon. She prepared grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch and they all took naps. Rachel was especially happy for the downtime because she would be wedding planning with Rebecca for the rest of the weekend. She already had plenty of headache medicine stashed away in her purse.

It wasn't easy, but Rachel, Rebecca, and Peter worked out the wedding. _In one weekend_. It was intense, but at least phase one was complete. Peter and Rebecca would be exchanging vows in front of close friends and family at a beach resort in Hawaii. Rachel spent Friday evening getting a good feel of what both Rebecca and Peter wanted, which was easy because they both were on the same page. They ultimately decided on Hawaii because no one but Rachel and Peter had passports.

Saturday, Rachel spent the entire day researching and calling resorts. Surprisingly, Rachel found that most resorts had tons of wedding packages available. Using their preferences, Rachel prepared a list (more like a report) of her top five recommendations. She was a meticulous planner, so the information gathering lasted the entire day on Saturday. She ended up sleeping over in Puck's old room and waking up early Sunday morning to get back on the road. This time she was leaving Lima with double the treats for Eli, food to last the next couple of days for Puck, and money for herself. She begged her fathers, Rebecca, and Peter not to give her any money, but they insisted. Before she got on the road, she deposited it into her emergency account. Rachel had a feeling she'd be dipping in there sooner than expected in order to pay for her share of the flight to the October wedding.

About halfway to Columbus, Puck was calling Rachel's phone. She was in the middle of a jam session, but she took the call from one of her favorite men anyway.

"Good morning Noah."

"Hey babe. What time are you leaving?"

"I'm about an hour away. I've got tons of food for you from your mom which means I get back to my healthy eating, even if it's only for a couple of days. Eli used to enjoy my veggie burgers until someone introduced him to ground beef."

"I didn't know you were leaving so soon. Eli and I will be at your apartment. We've got—uh, a bit of surprise for you here." Puck's tone made Rachel instantly apprehensive.

"Noah, what did you do?"

"It was something spur of the moment. Finn and I had a couple of drinks and came up with this great idea last night and—"

"Where's Eli?" Rachel knew that if she asked the right questions, her son would tell her everything she needed to know. Unfortunately, Puck was aware of that as well.

"Just know that it's sorta reversible. So if you're completely freaked out, I'm willing to—"

"Noah, should I be afraid?"

"It's probably not as bad as you're thinking, but I had no idea that you'd be back so soon. Anyway, get back to your in-car concert and I'll see you when you get here. I love you."

"Even though I'm freaked out right now, I love you too Noah." Rachel said and hung up. She usually wasn't one to speed, but Rachel picked up the pace to see what kind of chaos Puck had in store for her. The fact that he came up with the idea while drinking didn't seem promising. To keep her mind from worrying, she called the best distraction she knew: Santana.

"What crisis are you in now? You only call me outside of Tuesday when you need something." Santana answered.

"I'm actually on the road back to Columbus now and just wanted someone to talk to. How are you?" Rachel lied, but what Santana didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"I'm great. Actually, I'm not so great. I just booked this damn plane ticket to Ohio. My parents said that they weren't going to pay for me to come home if I banned my mother's sister from my graduation. So whatever, I bought my own ticket."

"While you're home you should come up to Columbus and visit! It'd be great to see you." Rachel exclaimed.

"Where do you think I'm flying into Berry? Lima doesn't have an airport." Santana snapped. Rachel became really excited. Although the last time she saw Santana she was totally wasted, it would be great to see her long-distance friend again.

"That's great. Too bad you couldn't come for my graduation." Rachel said.

"How lame would that be? Graduations are long and stupid. The only thing I'd come for are pre- and post-graduation celebrations. I'm already so excited for the last week. I'm going to curse out people I always wanted to curse out and I'm going to have sex anyone that I wanted to over the years."

"Santana, it's not like the world's ending. There will be life after graduation—"

"You're all wifed up already, so you probably don't understand. After this, I'm going to law school. Like my ass is gonna really be in the books because I'll be damned if I don't pass the bar on the first try. So I've got to live it up these last couple of weeks. You should too."

"I think the reckless ship has sailed for me."

"Well, maybe you're at the wrong dock. When I get to Ohio again I'm gonna show you how to have a good time, even while dating a complete moron."

"I'm sorry Santana, but I have to admit that I didn't hear anything past your dock reference. Did you really just say that?"

"That was pretty fricking lame, wasn't it? God Berry, you bring out the absolute loser in me. I've got to go wash my mouth out with liquor or something."

"Goodbye to you too Santana."

It wasn't as long as she had hoped, but talking with Santana did give Rachel some things to think about. Obviously she wouldn't go out and sleep with random men, but Rachel did want to do something rebellious. She had something in mind, but didn't want to do it alone. When she got a chance later in the week, she'd call Alex and see if they could do it together. Going along with the spirit of new things and rebellion, Rachel told herself that she'd go along with whatever Puck had done knowing that it couldn't be anything that bad.

She called him when she parked so that he could help with the things. Between her fathers and Rebecca, they must have bought out Lima's entire stock of toddler learning toys.

"Hey babe. I didn't know I missed you this much until I'm seeing you right now." Puck said, giving Rachel a long kiss. She wrapped her arms around him feeling the same way.

"Where's Eli?" Rachel asked, following Puck inside and to the elevators.

"He just went back to sleep. Finn's inside." Puck said. Rachel didn't know if that was to ease her mind about Eli being alone inside or to warn her of something to come. Before he opened the door, Puck turned around and looked at her.

"Noah, you're being really dramatic. Move out the way." Rachel bumped him out of her way and opened the door. Her entire living room, minus the couch and television, was empty. There were boxes around the room and, from her spot at the front door she could see that they were filled with her movies, her books, and everything out the living room. Rachel sat her bags down and covered her face in her hands. Puck, in a drunken epiphany, must have started to pack Rachel's things so that she could move out of her apartment _into_ his house. Sure it was sudden, a little awkward, and very ill-planned, but Rachel couldn't find any part of her that was uncomfortable with it.

"Rachel, we'll put everything back." Finn said. Rachel saw him in between her fingers and he looked downright terrified. She decided to play with them a little bit, since they really had no right making such a huge decision without her anyway—drunk or not.

"Finn, could you please give us some time to discuss some things?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, sure. Uh yeah—Rachel again, I'm so sorry about—" Finn rambled.

"Dude. Out." Puck interrupted, opening the door Finn to walk out. Rachel sat on the couch and put her head in her hands.

"Rachel babe, say something. I have no idea what you're thinking."

"No, I have no idea what _you_ were thinking. I come back from helping with your mother's wedding to find out that you jumped the gun and began packing _my_ things to move out of _my_ apartment."

"Babe, I—"

"How drunk could you have been to come to this conclusion? Where did you even get boxes? Noah this is—"

"Rachel we can—"

"—An absolute nightmare. Why is it always that I'm forced into these things? I mean, if I knew you were going to do this I would have gotten more boxes and already reserved a storage room."

"—Fix everything back and I'm sor—wait, what?" Rachel grinned at Puck and ran into his arms.

"I'm surprised. And I wish I knew beforehand, but I'm not freaking out. I'm only kidding." Rachel said. Puck pulled away from her and stared at her.

"Are you sure you're sure?"

"Noah Puckerman, I would love to move in with you. But even though you've got this preliminary packing going on, I still think it would be best to wait a few weeks so I won't have to break my lease."

"As long as your body's in my bed with me every night, this stuff can stay here." Puck said.

"Hey, 'this stuff' is _my_stuff. And a lot of it's important to me. Your house is roomy, but we'll have to rearrange things so that my things can get in there too."

"How lame is it for me to say that you can do whatever you want with the place because as long as you're there, I don't care?"

"That's actually exactly what I want to hear." Rachel said, kissing him.

* * *

**So I kinda know what's in the works for next chapter, but I haven't written it. I hope it won't take as long as this one :) But in other news... FTFT is nominated for "Best Pucklebaby!" Get the flip out of here... is this real life? My other fic "Baby Shoes" is also nominated for Best Drama. If you guys haven't read that, please do! I'll provide links and stuff soon so you can vote for me, if you so please!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**No judgement for any typos I haven't caught. I'm totally supposed to be getting ready for work now, but I decided to upload. I think that makes up for me being so slow :)**

* * *

"Babe, so you went to the interview. You got the job. But you're not getting paid? How exactly does that work?" Puck asked Rachel.

"Noah, please don't be facetious. This is a good opportunity." Rachel said. That was at least what she was praying for. Rachel spent the last three weeks before graduation looking for a job as a glee instructor at a school in Columbus. She never imagined so many obstacles in her way—the biggest being funding. Most of the schools barely had enough money to cover material for the required classes. Glee definitely didn't rank high in importance

Some of the schools questioned her credibility. She was a drama major, trying to teach a "music" class without a teacher's license or any formal teaching experience. Then there were the schools that already had glee teams and glee instructors. Rachel was almost at the end of her list of schools when she received her first official callback for an interview. Mountbrook High was one of the high schools in the poorest sections of Columbus. Rachel had never heard anything good about the school, but she still went into the interview as positive as ever.

"If facetious is a fancy way to say asshole, then I'm not trying to be it. I promise. But Rachel, you're _volunteering_. Is this cool with you?"

"I'm not _volunteering_ Noah. I'd be creating the glee club from the ground up. You should have seen the looks on their faces. Those kids don't have anyone who wants to take a risk on them. It's going to be a lot of hard work, but something inside is telling me it's right. "

"Whatever you want to do babe, I'll support you 100%. I just don't want you to worry about this. Especially just a few days before graduation."

"You're right Noah. I will heed your advice for now and keep my worrying to a minimum. Will you be coming here after work to help me pack?" Rachel asked.

"Rach, you know I don't do the packing, I just do the moving. Besides, I think Alan and Vic are going to shoot some pool. I'll just see you guys when you come home later."

Rachel ended the call and went back to sorting the clothes out of her closet. She never imagined that she would accumulate so much stuff in only three years. With no classes, a quasi-job lined up, and graduation in three days—Rachel wanted to get everything in her apartment prepared so that she could fully move in with Puck. Ever since he drunkenly began packing up Rachel's things, she'd been sleeping at his house anyway.

It hadn't fully sinked in yet—it just felt like Rachel was spending the night there like she usually did. It didn't feel like they were living together, actually cohabitating. Eli was already well adjusted, transitioning with no questions asked. Even Rachel and Puck's parents were on board—Rebecca thrilled that they were one step closer to marriage and Rachel's dads relived that Rachel would absolutely be safe.

As she packed, Rachel couldn't help but think out loud. Was she really planning on working for free? There was no doubt that she was passionate about music and teaching the arts to kids, but for free? Wealth wasn't the issue. Working for free meant that she wouldn't have any money of her own. Puck would have to support her and Eli—something that he was already 100% down for—but it made Rachel uneasy. The optimist in her assured her that everything would be fine. But the mother in her worried about how she could provide for her son while working for free.

One thing Rachel was beginning to realize was that life was unpredictable. Something good had to come of this.

On Friday morning, Rachel woke up and cooked her guys breakfast. Since her graduation was the next day, Puck took the day off to make sure Rachel didn't do anything drastic. He also had a pretty big surprise arriving for her later that afternoon, so he had to be there to witness it.

"You know, you're teasing me about working for free. Will you even have a job with all the days you take off?" Rachel asked Puck when he walked into the kitchen.

"Babe, I run that joint. Right Eli?" Puck stuck his hand out for a high-five to his son. Eli slapped his hand.

"RIGHT!"

"What time is everyone getting here?" Puck asked, scooping blueberries out of Rachel's pancake bowl. She glared at him before answering.

"My fathers will be arriving by one, but that's all I know. They refuse to tell me how everyone's getting here because they think I'll try to run the show and stress myself out. Am I incapable of making sure everyone gets into town at the right time?"

"You're a natural born leader babe. Your fathers know that as well as anyone. You graduate tomorrow, so why should you spend your time worrying about who arrives when? As long as they show up with cards full of money and checks in hand, you're good."

"Noah! That is not why I want my family and friends at graduation. Only you would look forward to the gifts."

"Eli, mommy is telling a pretty big fib right now. Because who wouldn't look forward to presents?" Puck asked their son. Eli looked over with wide eyes.

"Is it your birthday mommy? Can I open your presents?" Eli asked eagerly.

"No sweetie, mommy's graduating tomorrow. Remember? No more school!" Rachel said, waving her arms frantically as Eli followed suit. Puck looked at the two of them, shaking his head.

"So babe." Puck started. His tone of voice instantly put Rachel on edge.

"I've got the weekend pretty much planned out. As far as activities are concerned." Puck said.

"Go on." Rachel said, instantly suspicious. She knew she recognized his "I have a plan" voice.

"Don't give me that look. Would I ever steer you wrong?" Puck asked. Rachel laughed and turned back to the stove to flip the pancakes. "So tonight, I'm taking you out. Dancing and drinks. A date thing."

"Really?" Rachel asked. As Rachel was packing and wrapping up school and Puck was busy with projects at work, neither of them had free time to plan a nice date.

"Heck yeah. One of our parents will watch Eli—not worried about that at all. Tomorrow of course is the graduation in the morning. Lunch at the hotel after that, don't know what else happens but Saturday night we're going out again. But we'll go out with Adam and Vic and their girls. Sunday we say adios to family and finalize your move."

"You've actually got a pretty detailed plan there, Puckerman. I can't help but be suspicious." Rachel said. Her senses told her there was a little more to the story than her boyfriend was sharing.

"I actually didn't add in all the times I plan to _fuck you crazy_ cause I'm so _fucking_ proud of you, but I figured that wouldn't fit into any specific part of the plan." Puck whispered the profanities as he stalked towards Rachel.

"Noah, you will not ruin breakfast for Eli. He'll be pretty disappointed if I burn his pancakes because you're trying to distract me."

"Don't blame your horniness on me Rach, even though I know it's a natural reaction. Besides, I've got some plans after breakfast. That doesn't mean I won't sneak attack at another time."

"Plans?"

"Eli and I are getting haircuts. Then we gotta go over to Finn's. He's got some half day at his school and he's been pretty pissed that Eli hasn't been over to help take care of the puppy."

"Does he realize that our son is only 2?"

"It's Finn we're talking about. I've also got to help him find something acceptable for your presidential-style luncheon tomorrow." Puck teased. Rachel playfully swatted at him.

Admittedly, Rachel's fathers went overboard with her celebration. They arranged a banquet-styled luncheon at a fabulous hotel in downtown Columbus. Rachel was positive that there wouldn't be more than 20 people there, but her fathers even hired a photographer for the event.

"I am an only child. They've got an excuse to splurge on their princess."

"Just hope they remember the princess needs to get married one day." Puck teased. "And since they're two guys, they technically should go twice as big."

Rachel rolled her eyes at Puck. Now that Rebecca and Peter's wedding was pretty much organized, she had time to dream about her own nuptials. The current idea circulating in her head was to have a small, intimate ceremony. She wanted to bring it up with Puck, but she didn't want to freak him out before they were even engaged. The way he brought up a wedding just then did make her curious? Was he going overboard on planning the weekend to hint around that he'd be proposing?

"Yo Rach, the weather's nice. Let's eat outside." Puck suggested. She nodded her agreement and fixed his and Eli's plates. She needed to get them outside so she could get her mind under control. Even with the straightest face, Puck could still tell when Rachel was thinking too hard about something. It both annoyed and pleased her that he was so perceptive.

"I love your panycakes mommy!" Eli exclaimed when Rachel joined them at the patio table. Rachel kissed her son on the cheek and thanked him. The reason she made blueberry pancakes almost every weekend was because Eli had the same extreme reaction each time. And each time it tickled her.

"So, you gonna be here around 4? Hudson just asked me to help him help some guy move. Kinda owe him for a bet, so gotta help out for at least 10 minutes before I pretend to pull a muscle."

"I'll probably be at the apartment trying to pack some more. Just give me a call and I can meet you."

"Babe, leave the frickin apartment be for this weekend. I'd actually prefer if you go buy something super sexy for tonight. Get pampered or something and I'll bring Eli here at 4. If only for this weekend, you're gonna do things you don't normally do. Even if I have to make you myself."

"Almost sounds like a threat Puckerman." Rachel said. Puck unleashed his full bedroom eyes on her.

"You better believe that's a promise Berry."

Puck was right. As soon as they finished breakfast, Rachel got Eli dressed for the day while Puck got himself together. Once they left, she hopped in the shower and got dressed. She decided to go to a boutique she liked to see if she could find some reasonably priced dresses for the weekend. She already had a beautiful, white sheath dress for graduation day—her honor stole and cords would look amazing with it—but nothing amazing for the night outings. And if Puck was potentially proposing to her, she had to make sure she looked her best. When her fathers wound up running late, she slid off to her favorite nail salon for a mani/pedi. Rachel hadn't had either since getting ready for the Valentine's Day banquet. The manicurist did a perfect job and had Rachel out the door with just enough time to pick up lunch from her dads' favorite Thai restaurant in town and meet them at their hotel. She hoped that while she was there, her parents would at least give her some details on what they had planned for her luncheon. If there was any way for her to stop things from going as overboard as she predicted they would, she'd try.

"It's so good to see you sweet pea!" Her daddy said, opening the door to their suite. Rachel looked around the full suite, instantly wondering how much money her fathers had paid for it. Her fathers eyed her knowingly.

"Relax, Rachel. You only graduate from undergrad once. If we want to pat ourselves on the back for stellar parenting with lavish lodging, we will. You're becoming more and more like your daddy every day." Rachel's dad said to her. Once she set down the restaurant bags, he grabbed her in a strong embrace. Rachel could tell that he was feeling great and she was glad that he'd be able to enjoy their time with family without feeling so sick.

"I absolutely appreciate the parenting you have given me. I'm so thankful of your love support every single day, at every single step of my life." Rachel said seriously. The momentousness of the occasion was finally hitting her. _Graduation_. Without the two men in front of her, who knows how she would have turned out? As her daddy dabbed at his eyes, her dad cleared his throat.

"No sob fest from the two of you. I've been having an appetite lately and I smell my favorite spicy Thai noodles in there. Let's eat!"

It really brightened Rachel's day to see her dad so energized. The weekly reports they gave her were starting to come back with good news more often than not. But actually seeing him putting on weight and looking like his old self was enough to quell Rachel's worries about her dad's health.

"So honey, I think you'll be pleasantly impressed with tomorrow's lunch. We—" Her daddy started.

"Hiram, don't tell her anything." Leroy warned.

"Daddy, tell me everything! I still don't understand why you two are going to make such a big deal over a lunch. You guys could use the money towards something else."

"Nonsense. While we're still here and able to celebrate your accomplishments, you better believe we're going to celebrate to the highest extent. You're our princess. Our little star." Her dad said.

"Well, what about my wedding? I can't have my graduation luncheon cutting into my fairytale wedding funds." Rachel joked. She was putting a forkful of noodles in her mouth and when she looked up, her fathers were staring at her.

"Is there a proposal on the horizon?" Her daddy asked. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Something's going on. I've never even heard you mention a wedding of your own before. Hiram, remember we used to talk about how most little girls would plan their weddings. Rach, you were planning Tony acceptance speeches and creating your own Broadway shows with your stuffed animals." Her dad smiled at her warmly. It was a look Rachel was all too familiar with—the "how did my baby grow up so fast" look.

"Don't change the subject Leroy. Do you think Noah's proposing soon?" Her daddy asked. Rachel realized that she hadn't had an actual marriage talk with her fathers. And obviously, it was something they were very interested in.

"I have no idea. We talked about it the night Peter proposed to Rebecca. I suppose it's coming. I just don't know when. Has he spoken to you two about anything?" Rachel asked. She was pretty good at reading her dads, so when they shook their heads and denied knowing anything, she believed them.

"I imagine he would ask us first though. Poor Noah was quite the delinquent when you two were younger, but he's definitely a gentleman now. He'd know how important that was to us. I'm just positively excited now!"

"Hiram. We are not going to add that to Rachel's list of stressors. And we're not bringing it up to Noah either. Let the two lovebirds do their thing. We'll just take care of our precious grandson in the meantime. Is he still at daycare?"

Rachel explained the plan for the day and for the rest of the weekend. Her dads were perfectly fine with keeping Eli overnight. In fact, they'd already had dinner plans set up with some of her other family members coming into town. She chatted with them for about an hour, then she got ready to go home and take a quick nap before Puck brought Eli back home. She forgot to set an alarm so she could be alert when Eli arrived, so when she saw Santana sitting on her bed she thought she was dreaming.

"Since when do you take naps Berry? Thought you were the goddamn Energizer bunny. I'm the one who needs a nap, waking up all types of the morning to fly here." Santana said. Rachel sat up quickly and looked at her friend. She looked at Puck in the doorway, who was grinning at her. Everything fell into place then.

"Look who I found at the airport babe." Puck said. Once the shock wore off, Rachel leaned over and tackled Santana into a hug.

"Gross! This friendly affection is not my cup of tea Rach!" Santana exclaimed, but Rachel definitely felt Santana hug back.

"So can someone explain what's going on? How are you here?" Rachel asked, once she released Santana.

"You guys have your girl talk. I'm heading to the gym. Eli's asleep in his room." Puck said, kissing Rachel before walking out the room. Santana watched the scene with a smirk on her face.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Puck is completely, and I mean completely fucking obsessed with you. On the way back from the airport, I asked him if I was hotter than you and if he missed being with me." Santana started. Rachel eyed her friend.

"I mean, shit I'm still me. But I'm not gonna break up this happy home, damn. Don't glare at me. Anyway, after he cursed me out he started going on and on about how much he loves you, how he's really proud you're graduating tomorrow, and how he was glad he figured out what he wanted in a woman before it was too late."

"Are you serious?" Rachel asked.

"Totally. I tried to get some proposal details out of him, but as soon as I mentioned it that lost-in-love look faded away and he completely stonewalled. The jackass told me that I'd be the _last_ to know! I'm almost a little offended, since I did put you two together. I figure I can get some details out of Finn when we have sex this weekend."

"Just because we had drunken sex after your party, doesn't mean you had a hand in putting us together. And I thought Finn had a girlfriend? You can't waltz into town and wreak havoc."

"Hell yeah I can. And I plan on twisting some things up around here. Hope you didn't forget about the IOU I get to cash in either."

"But honestly San, how are you here?"

"You're usually smoother at changing the subject Berry." Santana commented. "You don't remember about me complaining about my parents being complete assholes and not buying my ticket to Ohio? I was pretty surprised you didn't pick up on the fact that I was making a random ass visit."

"I didn't even realize that. And although I'm still not sure _how_ you earn your money, I'm sure you worked hard for it." Rachel teased. "So I appreciate you spending it to come celebrate with me. Who would ever imagine you and—"

"Can the flashbacks. We're gonna live in the moment. And at _this_ moment, neither of us is drunk. Let's fix that."

Even though Puck was more of a Jack Daniels guy, he did have a pretty wide selection of alcohol. They started off with an simple margarita. By the time Puck walked in the door from his gym session, Rachel had already had 2 shots of tequila. And even though she was definitely tipsy, she was sober enough to know that the two adults behind her boyfriend were Rebecca and Peter.

"Oh, this is classic." Puck said, curious about the scene before him.

"Pet-Peter and Rebecca. I had no idea you guys would be here now." Rachel said. She hopped off the counter, grateful that her gracefulness still allowed her to land without any trouble. She hugged both of them.

"Are you drunk Rachel?" Rebecca asked, with a harsh look directed towards Santana. It was no secret that Rebecca couldn't stand Santana and was holding her responsible for Rachel's inebriation.

"No, I've only had a couple drinks." Rachel said.

"Well you guys have fun. It's definitely a time for celebration! We just came to get Eli, right Rebecca?" Peter reminded.

"Uh huh." Rebecca said. Rachel already had a bag packed for Eli, so she woke him up so they could say their goodbyes.

"Where's Hannah?" Rachel asked when she and Eli came back into the living room.

"She's at the hotel. We're meeting your fathers for dinner when we get back." Rebecca answered.

"Cool. Well, see ya buddy!" Puck said, high-fiving his son. He opened the front door to signal that it was time for Rebecca to leave. Rachel was relieved he finally did something to clear the awkwardness out the room. As soon as they left and Puck closed the door, she and Santana exploded with laughter.

"Way to warn us, Puckerman. I think your mom was cursing me out in her head. She's psychotic." Santana said.

"Well I'm pretty sure her catching me nail you on the couch has never left her memory." Puck replied.

"Hey! No mentions of your prior hookups with Santana. We agreed." Rachel reminded. It was a conversation they had about weirdness of dating each other's best friends in the past. Puck charged at Rachel and threw her over his shoulder.

"Babe, Satan doesn't even compare. She's definitely not as flexible as you anyway." Puck said, slapping her butt before putting her down on the ground.

The rest of the evening was spent drinking and getting dressed for the night. When Finn finally arrived, Rachel and Santana were definitely drunk. When it came time for them to decide a dinner option, Rachel and Santana demanded that the guys cook them a meal.

"Is Rachel actually gonna be okay enough to go out?" Finn asked, taking a sip of the beer he brought.

"Who knows? Shit looks like it'll be pretty funny. You know she never lets loose like this." Puck said, making patties with the beef he was about to grill.

"I can hear you!" Rachel called from the bedroom.

After dinner and Rachel's toast (and crying fit) about appreciating everyone taking time to celebrate a momentous occasion in her life, they started to get ready to go out. Santana suggested going to a salsa club, which Finn quickly shot down. They all agreed to one of the trendy college spots downtown where dancing and Finn's flailing around were both acceptable.

The shopping that Rachel did earlier was a waste of time. Santana packed double the clothes just so she could make sure Rachel was dressed to her standards. Tonight's ensemble included a skintight black dress and dramatic makeup.

"Puck's gonna love this Rach." Santana gushed as she slipped into her green dress. The two of them were getting dressed in the bedroom while the guys waited for them in the living room. Rachel looked at herself in the mirror.

"I look exactly like you Santana. Are you implying that he's going to like me more if—"

"You're still such a drama queen. He's gonna like you anyway, duh. Puck loves the cuteness about you, but it's okay to vamp up the sexy sometimes. Hello, you told me about Valentine's night and he completely got off on that." Santana reminded.

"Why do you know so much about my relationship?" Rachel joked.

"One of the few perks of being best friends with a couple. Mostly it's lame to see how in love you guys are."

"Please, you love it!" Rachel exclaimed. Puck bammed on the door and announced his entry. He was about to complain about their slowness but stopped when he saw Rachel. He fixed his mouth to say something then stopped.

"Baby, you look fucking hot." He finally said. Rachel grinned and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hon, prep us a round of shots before we go. I need a little conference with Puckerman." Santana said, gently pushing Rachel out the room and closing the door. As soon as she turned around, Finn was so busy complementing her that she didn't have time to wonder what Puck and Santana were even talking about. They emerged not much later with Santana demanding another round before they left.

"Rach, you're going to have to wake up really early in the morning. You sure this is a good idea?" Puck asked her.

"I suppose." Rachel said, clashing glasses with Santana and taking one more down.

Finn drove and Rachel got in the backseat with Puck. She got a whiff of his cologne and realized that she hadn't been really close to him since Santana came. She unbuckled her seatbelt and slid over next to him. Instinctively, Puck wrapped his arm around her.

"You think they'll be mad if I request we turn around so I can go home and cuddle with you?" Rachel tried to whisper. But drunk whispering wasn't her specialty.

"Hell yeah we would princess. Cuddle time can come later." Santana commented from the front seat.

"Don't worry babe. We can cuddle every night for the rest of our lives once Satan leaves. She's kinda ruining everything." Puck whispered back.

All the preparation for going out proved to be pointless though. They'd only been there for about 30 minutes when Finn accidentally bumped into a passerby while dancing. The girl tripped up and spilled some of her drink on Santana.

"BITCH! I WILL BEAT YOUR ASS!" Santana yelled in the girl's face. Puck and Finn wasted no time rounding the girls up to leave before they got kicked out.

When they were finally in the house alone, Rachel whined the entire time about feeling sick. Instead of telling her, "I told you so," Puck did his best to put her hair in a ponytail (in preparation for the inevitable trip to the toilet bowl) and helped her change into something comfortable.

"Tomorrow morning may suck for you, but just power through it Rach." Puck advised. She nodded miserably, and tried to ignore the churning of her stomach. Rachel barely got any sleep and finally got to throwing up the alcohol at after 6 a.m. Sitting through the graduation ceremony in the sun was almost unbearable, but Rachel made it through with a smile on her face. She didn't want her parents and family to know that she drank recklessly the night before. What made things worse was that Santana felt fine.

"I got caught up in the moment and forgot you're a lightweight." Santana said through her smile as Rachel's dads took a picture of them. Rachel glared at her friend.

"At least you look great. And no one can even tell that you're battling a hangover from hell. Keep it up Berry." Santana said. Rachel could tell Santana was more amused by Rachel's misery than anything. After the impromptu photo shoot was over, everyone headed over to the hotel for Rachel's luncheon.

The setup was beautiful and her dad's did an amazing job. There was a photo slideshow in the background of Rachel growing up. The tables were decorated with star centerpieces, with gold confetti stars sprinkled everywhere. The ambiance was enough to make Rachel forget about the blistering headache and truly enjoy the moment with family and friends. But the truly amazing part was the kind words and wishes everyone gave.

Rebecca started by expressing how grateful she was to have Rachel as a part of the family. Several of Rachel's family members followed, giving well wishes for the future. Santana and Finn even stood up to say a few words. Eli had been exclaiming congratulations all morning, but felt special when he had his own little speech moment too. But the waterworks started with Rachel's fathers stood up to give a few words.

"The first thing I thought about the moment my doctor gave me my diagnosis was Rachel. I've never given up on my fight because I knew I had to live to see my daughter become a success. It didn't take me long to realize that Rachel was already a success, and no matter what obstacle came in her way—she remained a success. I just want to thank God that I'm alive and able to celebrate this day with my family. Congratulations princess, and I know you will continue to do absolutely great things in life. Your daddy and I are so proud of you." Leroy said, dabbing his eyes. Just the sight of her dad crying made Rachel sob. Hiram was already so consumed with emotion that he could barely say more than congratulations and that he loved her.

Once everyone composed themselves and laughed about how dramatic the scene was, the attention was turned to Puck. He was the last to make remarks. Rachel looked at him expectantly and he flashed her one of his signature smirks.

"I don't know how to follow _that_." Puck said and everyone laughed. He took a deep breath and looked around the room.

"Rachel reminds me all the time that I'm not the most appropriate with my words, but I'll try my best. I've known this woman for a long time. I should have listened to my mom and claimed Rachel a long time ago—probably would have saved me that period of juvenile delinquency—but things happen for a reason. I needed to grow up and realize how incredible she is." Puck said.

Rachel could not wipe the grin off her face. Puck wasn't a nervous guy, but she knew that speaking about his feelings in front of a room full of people probably wasn't comfortable for him.

"Rachel thinks she's psychic. And she always talks about these 'moments' in life—times when you just know something. I'm having one of those right now. Hearing Leroy and Hiram speak about Rach and how she's so grown up now just triggered something in me. You guys have raised her and taken care of her all these years. Give me permission to take care of her from now on." Puck said. Rachel's mouth dropped. Rebecca let out a squeal.

"You are kidding me." Santana said.

"Absolutely." Leroy said to Puck. Hiram nodded enthusiastically. Puck turned to Rachel, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to a standing position.

"Noah." was all Rachel could get out. Puck fished around in his pocket and got down on one knee. Rachel was screaming in her head, but she couldn't get any other words out.

"I honestly wasn't planning on doing this today. Actually, I've been waiting for the perfect moment, but I realized that every moment with you feels perfect. Rachel, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me baby?"

"Oh Noah. YES!" Rachel exclaimed. He slid the ring on her finger and grabbed her into his arms. Rachel forgot there were other people in the room when they began kissing.

"I just wanna say I take full responsibility for this relationship. Finn, we've gotta start planning the bachelor and bachelorette parties." Santana said, snapping Rachel and Puck out of their moment.

"That frightens me already." Rachel said to Puck.

"Just as long as we don't have them the night before the wedding. I bet you learned your lesson on that." Puck whispered.

Rachel and Puck reluctantly let go of one another long enough to receive yet another round of well wishes and congratulations. The festivities didn't end long after that and soon Puck and Rachel were heading back to their home, with a sleeping Eli in the backseat.

"Wanna consummate the engagement?" Rachel asked Puck, staring at her ring. She'd just laid Eli down in his bed.

"Just as long as we can do it for the rest of the afternoon."

"You picked out a beautiful ring. So… I guess we could." Rachel said jumping into his arms. The first day of forever sure felt good.

**The End**

* * *

**So yeah, it's kind of the end! :( I wanted to wrap it up before it got too big... especially since I'm running out of time to actually write which sucks. But never fear, an epilogue and outtakes are most likely on the way.  
**


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